Adversus Adverto
by Nimrod The Writer
Summary: Vlad is not an irrational man. He makes plans and he follows those plans. Unless of course, Danny Fenton is involved. Then everything is tossed into the air and outcomes never thought possible are suddenly made possible. Then follow the consequences. DxV
1. Chapter 1

What this? Nimrod can write DannyVlad thats _not _under the influence, a sea of lies, or seemingly senseless rape?

[insert epic God voice] **HOLY CRAP.**

Okay peeps. This is my (hopefully) better, longer and _totally mutual_ DannyxVlad fic. I promise there will be no wtf endings.

Oh, the title? Yeah it's really not as fo-sisticated as it sounds. Actually it's kinda cheesy. Cheesy in a fancy suit.

Almost forgot, each chapter will be switching PoV's between Danny and Vlad. I'll post them up here so y'all won't forget or sumthin.

* * *

Vlad PoV

* * *

The clock ticked in the background, keeping up a steady rhythm that was nearly setting me off the edge. The high back purple chair I sat upon felt like metal beneath me. I stared ahead at nothing, my thoughts racing. The house was silent but for that insufferable ticking. Here, in my private study, was where I nearly lost my calm. Surrounded by books and all the comforts I cherished; none of them comforted me now. Well, almost none. There was a picture, sitting innocently at my desk, of a boy. The boy in the golden frame was only fifteen and he had a shock of jet black hair that contrasted sharply with my gray-white mane. Bright, beautiful blue eyes stared at me happily, lighting up his features with joy. His smile filled the room and my chest with pride and love.

He's looks so full of life in the picture. How ironic is it that he's half dead?

How ironic is it that I, Vlad Masters, the only true fellow he has and the only one who can truly love and understand him, happens to be his greatest foe? I'd even go so far as to say that he considers me his arch-nemesis. How cruel.

I suppose I can hardly blame the boy though. Through his eyes I'll admit I have done some rather dark deeds. But I'm not obsessed. It's said that people go to great lengths for love. I happen to have a large abundance of money and power and when coupled with love, well I can go much farther than great lengths.

Daniel just doesn't understand. And how could he? Living with that idiot father, who knows how many vital lessons he's been deprived of? I've told him time and time again that I could teach him so much. I wish he would listen to reason.

I glanced at the photo again, my stomach bubbling with nerves.

How could it have come to this? How could I let myself loose control of my emotions? It's driven me to this horrid, yet so sweet, situation. What am I going to do? His parents will see him gone and search high and low for him. His friends and Jasmine will immediately suspect me. No doubt they'll come snooping around my castle as well. But it's worse than friends and family, so much worse. He'll forever hate me now. He'll never trust me. I've ruined any chance I had because of blind love. Why can't he understand, why? I've only ever wanted what's best for him! I've never had any _real_ intent to hurt him, doesn't he know that? He has so much potential and only I can unlock it!

A deep sigh leaves my lungs and fills the room.

Calm yourself, Plasmius. Emotional thinking is what got you in this mess in the first place.

Another sigh.

He can't leave. He can't ever leave. Not that he's so close now, I couldn't bear it. I'll teach him not to hate me. I'll show him the compassionate and loving person I really am. He'll never leave and he'll be my perfect companion, as it should be. All I have to do is get through to him. How hard can it be? He's fifteen. Then again...

I glance up at the ceiling, up in the direction of the spare-no, his room. I know he's up there without even thinking about it. Just his presence fills this lonely old house with life. A warm glow buds in my chest. Maybe I should just go check on him, see how he's doing. After all, when I thoughtlessly took him here out of blind love, he may have been a little shaken up.

My feet stood sturdy on the carpeted floor as a single black ring surrounded me. It split into two as one traveled up my body and the other traveled down to the floor. My typical black suit disappeared, replaced by a white tunic with matching pants. My cape billowed behind me as I blinked my red eyes.

My ghost form is always so welcoming and comfortable. I wonder if Daniel feels the same about his second half?

I flew up through the ceiling and passed in and out of walls. I sank up from the floor of his bedroom and smiled warmly, all previous nerves vanishing.

Slowly, I came to his bedside and looked down affectionately at his softly breathing figure. He looked so peaceful, so oblivious. I loved that look on him. Pure innocence. I ran a gloved hand through his soft black hair, frowning at the slight bruise near his forehead. Perhaps I hit him too hard.

I sat down next to him, by body sinking in the bed. His sleeping form murmured something incoherent and he turned around, snuggling in closer to my body. I smiled, stroking his hair absentmindedly, watching him sleep and thinking about him.

Fifteen or not, he's strong. Both mentally and physically. Surely it couldn't be that hard to get through to him, but just to be sure, I'd better put up the ghost and human shield around his room. I hate to keep him locked in here, but I'll grant him more freedom with good behavior. It will be a good little incentive for him.

I leaned in closer, my face was nearly touching his. I tried to ignore the current of electricity that seemed to pull me closer to him, but I couldn't help it completely. With a secretive smile, I brushed my lips against his own fleetingly, reveling in the feeling that passed. He moved beneath me and I instinctively moved away, not wanting to be caught just yet. He settled once more with a soft sigh, a shadow of a smile gracing his lips. I smiled and brushed his hair again. Regretfully, I stood and sunk back into the floor, down to my secret lab, down to the modified and improved shield.

My thought's strayed as I set the device up, thinking of Maddie and how she would feel. I loved her, I always would. But...Daniel was different, something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Something more.

Still, how would Maddie react if she knew it was I who held her son? Well she would despise me for all eternity, of course, but did that honestly affect me? Did I care that by choosing Daniel I was giving up Maddie? No, I didn't care. I've already made my choice anyways and theres no use fretting about the past. There was just something special about Daniel.

I smiled to myself once more, thinking of him yet again.

The ghost-human shield was ready. I set in the destined measurements of the room up stairs and pressed the red button. I knew the soft, yet brief flash of green that encompassed the room before disappearing wouldn't wake Daniel. That boy could sleep through anything. I then set in the measurements for the property itself as a precaution, shielding Daniel from the outside world even more. I had a small metal bracelet hidden under my cuffs that rendered me impervious to the shield. It was another little thing I had invented in case it came of any use, and today it did.

Now all I had to do was tie up a few loose ends and formulate my next plan of action. Stealing Daniel away from that undeserving family may have been unplanned and whimsical, but I certainly wasn't going to let this opportunity go to waste.

------------------XXX

It was the next morning. A Saturday. I left a tray of breakfast for Daniel earlier, but I don't think he ate any of it. Another monstrous crash echoed from the room upstairs and I winced. As predicted, be wasn't very happy about being abducted. I just wish he wouldn't take it out on the furniture.

My tea rippled from another crash and I sighed. This had been going on for the past hour since he had woken up and I had hoped he would have been tuckered out by now. I should have known not, he has such a temper.

When the shattering of glass reached my ears, I put my tea cup on the table. It was time to intervene. The ring of black surrounded me and I flew up through the ceiling. I checked my bracelet, hidden under my black glove, and phased through the door. I was met with quite a sight.

Everything was destroyed. The twenty thousand dollar king size bed, the thirty thousand dollar matching dressers and table, the floor length mirror was shattered, glass littered the floor, and wood dust and chips lavished the walls. Water was spitting pathetically out of Daniel's personal bathroom, puddling and making a mess of the flooring. Several crashes were heard from the bathroom and the sound of cracking tile, along with a few growls of frustration.

I shook my head in exasperation and hovered into the ruined, _expensive _master bath. Daniel had a miniature marble statue in his hand and was attempting to beat the jacuzzi to the ghost zone. The statue itself had several deep cracks in it, which testified to his and the jacuzzis strength.

"Daniel." I said calmly. I instantly ducked as the statue was chucked at my head and then felt a pair of fists clench the front of my tunic.

"Let me go you fruitloop." he hissed furiously, green eyes glaring beautifully into mine.

"But your the one who's restraining me?" I quirked an eyebrow with a smirk, knowing it would annoy him.

"Shut up! I wanna go home!" Daniel yelled.

"Daniel, you are home." I said innocently to him, still grinning tauntingly. How I loved to make him angry.

The teen let out a growl of fury and his hands glowed green. I was shot through the wall of the bathroom, over the bed, and then through the wall into the hallway. I watched Daniel's face light up with happiness and freedom at the giant hole in the wall next to the locked door. He jumped in the air and fled at top speed, ready to go right through the hole and escape.

A loud thumping crack was heard as Daniel smacked head first into the shield, like hitting a brick wall. He crumpled to the ground, clutching his head and groaning painfully.

"Sorry Daniel, you won't be getting out of here anytime soon." I smiled down at his dazed figure.

Still clutching his head, he glared up at me mournfully, looking quite the tortured victim.

"I hate trapping you in here like an animal, but as you can see, your not yet ready to have free reign of the castle just yet." I crossed my arms and looked down at him, reentering the room.

He glared at me and jumped back into the air, raising to my height.

"How come you can go through that shield and I can't?" Daniel demanded.

"Because your the captured and I'm the captor. I wouldn't be a very good captor if you could go through the ghost-human shield and I couldn't, now would I?"

"Wha-no! Your half ghost too! Why doesn't the shield affect you?" he was getting angrier.

"Because I've invented a device that renders me impervious to it's effects." I couldn't help but brag.

"Perfect. Just perfect." Daniel muttered murderously.

"Yes, I thought so too." I mused lightly.

He threw another ecto blast at me and I easily dodged it.

"You're going to have to do better than that, Daniel." I taunted.

With a growl of frustration, he charged into me, almost knocking me out of the air. We tussled for a little while, him throwing anger driven punch after every fury driven kick and me easily blocking every single one. It was good for him to get his anger out. Eventually, his inability to land a blow on me slowly killed his defiant anger.

"What do you want with me?" he yelled, throwing a punch at me half heartedly.

I grabbed his wrists and pushed him up against the wall. He winced as he hit his head but never stopped glaring at me. I got right in his face, I suppose he saw it as me challenging him but I was doing it for a different reason entirely. I loved being close to him, especially in defeat.

"I want you." I stated ominously.

He looked at me warily for a second, but then instantly that look of defiance was back in his eyes.

"Dude, you seriously need a cat." he said flatly.

My eye twitched. I couldn't help it! I hated it when he said that! How could a _cat _substitute him?

With an angry scoff I threw him to the ground, the glass clinked around him.

"Think what you will, Daniel, but your going to be here for a long time and I will get what I want." I announced as I started to leave the room.

"By the way, this is where you'll be staying for a while, so unless you want to continue living in this pig sty I suggest you start cleaning."

"Like hell I will!"

"Oh? You want to live in this mess? Then fine, I don't care. I'm sure it makes you feel right at home, anyways."

"Like I could ever feel at home in your creepy house." he rolled his eyes.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you will eventually. Ta!" I yelled back at him cheerily as I left through the hole in the wall, changed back into my human form, and walked down the hall. He sound of him beating his fists on the shield reached almost to the next floor.

* * *

Almost forgot agian. Those of you who have read A Frozen Christmas, you will probably see some similar things in this story (NOT THE ENDING). Such as Vlad's taste in movies. Keep in mind that I totally started this fic first and A Frozen Christmas is the copy cat. M'kay that all.


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

Danny PoV

* * *

Stupid crazy power hungry fruit loop. What the hell does he want with me exactly? He's so damn creepy! 'I want you' What the hell was that? Sounds like some ax murderer ready to slice me up on a platter and eat me for dinner. Creep.

I looked around the wrecked room and a small feeling of hopelessness sat in my gut. My anger slowly disappeared as I surveyed the effects of my out-of-control temper tantrum. I really needed to work on that. The bedroom was beyond destroyed, there wasn't even a place to sit on. I sighed. Although I personally would like it clean just so I could alleviate some stress, I wanted to defy Vlad more.

So, finally reaching a decision, I plopped down on the spot with the least amount of glass and glowered at the door, knowing full well that I was acting like a five year old and not giving a damn.

I mean, come on! Where does he got off just whisking me away in the night, not even giving me a fair chance to fight back! All I get was a "Time to go, Daniel." announced to my ear at 2 o'clock in the fucking morning and a whack on the head. Then suddenly, I'm in hell.

I chucked a piece of wood at the door angrily, trying to keep my wall of fury up, but all to soon my shoulders sagged.

I wonder what Mom and Dad are doing now. Probably whipping up a search team to come find me. They probably think some ghost got me. I couldn't help but smile wryly. How right they would be.

But, unfortunately, if they came to that conclusion it would only draw them even farther away from finding me. If they suspected a ghost, they would _never _suspect Vlad. But Sam, Tucker, and Jazz would.

I couldn't help but perk up at the thought of that.

Of course they would immediately suspect Vlad, and with a little coaxing, Jazz could easily get Mom and Dad to come down here. She could tell them that Vlad would help on the search, or that maybe he's seen me or something. Then, since Tucker and Sam would definitely come along, they could search the house while the parents kept Vlad busy.

I smiled happily, relaxing on the floor. I'd be outta here in no time. Unfortunately, I was stuck in this mess of a room until freedom came. I breathed irritatedly through my nose, scowling at Plasmius as thoughts of him fluttered through my head. I continued to lay on the floor, doing absolutely nothing. I'd barely been in here for a single morning and I was already bored as hell. Sam, Tucker, and Jazz better hurry up.

Eventually, I did clean up a little bit, if shoving everything against a wall constitutes cleaning. At least I wasn't walking on glass. Just for the heck of it, I tried the door for the umpteenth time, knowing full well it wouldn't open. Then I tried pacing. Then I tried throwing more things. Then I was back to staring at the door. It turned into a kinda of physical mantra thing. Pace, throw, stare, repeat. Pace, throw, stare, repeat. Pace, throw, stare, repeat. How many hours have I been doing this?

I tried sleeping, but I only managed to get a few hours in. At least I think. I kinda destroyed any and all clocks in the room, so the only way I could tell time was through the window outside. Currently, long shadows were casting themselves far over Vlad's abundant property, disappearing into the thick forest in the distance. It was probably sometime in the evening.

Pushing myself away from the window, I jumped up on the broken bed, balancing on the cracked and split boards that jutted out from the destroyed box mattress. Then my stomach grumbled and I had a sudden thought. Was Vlad going to feed me?

Knowing the fruitloop, he'd leave me to die of starvation and boredom in this prison of a room. I jumped to the floor and chucked another piece of trash at the door. Vlad was so...weird.

Why _did _he randomly kidnap me? Sure, I'm plenty used to him kidnapping me and stuff, but this time it seems so...unplanned. He's got this air of 'I'm making this up as I go' vibe that I've never seen. He's always so meticulous and manipulative with everything he does. What the heck made him snap? Does he really want me as a son that badly? But I thought Mom was his top priority. Why didn't he just kidnap her instead.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he didn't, but it would have made more sense. After all, I'm just a trouble making teenager. How could I possibly compare to the love of his life?

That weird feeling started coming back as I thought about my rhetorical question and I hastily tried to push it away. Unfortunately, my current situation seemed to just make it stronger and I couldn't ignore it. I could help but think, what if I never got out of here? What if Vlad has finally managed to capture me indefinitely? I was disturbed at how...okay...I was with that. Well, maybe 'okay' isn't the right word. After all, I miss my family like crazy and I was so _not _okay with never seeing them again. I guess the right way to put it is I'm marginally okay with just the thought of staying here for a while. With him. Alone.

Ah! See why I hate this stupid, confusing feeling? It makes no sense. This was the main reason I didn't want to be stuck here. Ghost fighting with him is bad enough. I've managed to successfully ignore this weird feeling since I first met him at the reunion, but how long could I ignore it?

Then two sharp raps came from the door, and I felt the room drop a few degrees. Great, _he _was back.

"I'm disappointed Daniel. I would have thought you would be less childish about this. It's just cleaning your room." he clicked his tongue in disapproval, but I didn't turn around to look at him from the broken bed.

"Correction_._" I replied to the wall, "It's _your_ room and seeing as I'm not going to be here for much longer, I don't see the need to clean it_._"

"Oh Daniel, I can guarantee you'll be here for quite a long time." he said forebodingly.

"Not likely_._" I continued to glare at the wall, refusing to acknowledge his presence and remaining stubborn.

He was angry, I could feel it. There was a tense moment of silence before he replied, his voice not as light as before.

"I'm warning you Daniel, my temper can be quite as deadly as yours. Don't push me."

I said nothing, feeling his glare on my back for a second before he finally turned and left, phasing through the door. I glanced back and saw a dish of food on a wheeled metal stand. He must have brought it with him. Hesitantly, I approached the seemingly innocent food.

I think it was some weird Italian dish, but I wasn't about to try it and find out. It was probably laced with poison anyways. Sniffing in disgust, I rolled the table back to the door and returned to my bed, plopping on the floor and glaring at the darkening sky, willing myself to resign to dreams. The day had been so long and boring, and tomorrow didn't look any better. I breathed heavily, already starting to feel the pang of homesickness after just one day. I hope mom and dad were doing okay.

My last thoughts faded as I leaned back against the mattress, hoping I'd at least sleep in till noon so I wouldn't have to face the day as soon. Sweet darkness closed in, and I was out like a light.


	3. Chapter 3

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Vlad PoV

* * *

The tea was dark and steaming. A light vapor danced in the air, but my heavy sigh quickly eliminated it. The gray newspaper had nothing distracting in it and the silence of my castle did nothing to help deter my mind from a certain teenager. He was, of course, sleeping soundly upstairs, most likely lost in his dreams. I let him sleep in, it was the least I could do. My watched beeped once, signaling the arrival of 9:00 am. Daniel was probably going to sleep in till noon, and then he probably wouldn't want to see me for the rest of eternity anyways.

I stared dejectedly out the window, reminiscing about my life. (This often happens when I fall into a state of moderate depression and I hate it because it accomplishes nothing.) Why couldn't anything ever work out in my favor? Why couldn't I obsess over Maddie and move on? Why did it have to be _him_?

I sighed, rubbing my temples, trying to stand strong against the wall of impossibilities that loomed over me. For the love of god, he's _15_. But...would it really matter anyways? 15 or 20, I'd still feel the same. Half the time I forget he's still a teen.

A half smile reluctantly formed on my tired face, remembering the perseverance and determination he displays on a regular basis. It constantly amazes me that he can balance ghost hunting, grades, and homicidal parents daily. He worries me though. I can often see how exhausted he is during our fights.

Still, he manages to put up a brilliant facade while living his human life. When I first met him at the reunion, I barely noticed. But he'd be hard pressed to hide something like a double life from me, especially since we're in the same boat. I'd known from the moment I met him that there was something different about him. He'd seemed off to me, an entity unlike anything I had ever sensed. I'd felt...drawn to him, as odd as it sounds. It was later that I discovered he was just like me, a half ghost.

I smiled wanly now, remembering the shock I had felt. I don't even think I'd been as shocked when I first discovered my own powers. It was easy to understand why. It was mostly because I knew, from the second that he transformed into his human half, that I loved him. That had scared me to death.

Actually,at first it had disgusted me. How could I be in love with Maddie's _son_? A 14year old child? The idea was preposterous. I must have just felt a fatherly attraction to him. After all he _is_ Maddie's son, so of course I would wish to be a father figure to him. Certainly better than Jack.

But, as time moved on and I got to know him better, it just got worse. I'd been frantic, desperately trying to somehow make myself love Maddie. Daniel was not an option. It was impossible. I did whatever I could to get him to hate me in the hopes that if he despised me enough, I'd eventually despise him. Unfortunately that had backfired horribly. Now, I love him more than ever and he hates me. Brilliant.

Maybe...if I could get him to _not _hate me...there might be at least a semblance of a chance. Maybe...I'm sure he can feel it...that connection...he'd-Oh what am I saying! This is ridiculously hopeless.

I hated the fact that a mere 15 year old boy could reduce me to this state. Unsure, nervous, even frightened in some aspects. It was embarrassing.

But I couldn't deny it, no matter how much I wanted to sometimes. I needed him.

"More tea Sir?" a voice asked from my left.

"No thank you, Stephen." I replied automatically, my head resting on my fingertips, staring at the wall.

My ghostly servant didn't leave. I managed to catch his concerned look, but said nothing.

"That will be all."

He bowed and left respectively, leaving me in the lonely silence once more. A clock ticked somewhere, echoing across the many rooms, furthering my feelings of isolation. Maybe I should get a smaller house.

Or maybe I could just share it with Daniel? It's a shame he absolutely abhors me though. I couldn't help as a small groan of exasperation crossed my lips and I buried my head in my arms, my weaker emotion finally coming through.

How is it that I can get anything I want and never what I need? No matter what I do, I always either go about it the wrong way or somehow mess it up. Is getting love really this difficult, or am I just making it hard for myself? I tried almost every approach with Maddie, but she never once looked at me. Not with flattery, manners, money, gifts, nothing. I don't care for her as I once did, but I'm still a little miffed that I couldn't win her over. If I had no luck with her, how could I possibly have a chance with her son?

How _how _could I get Daniel not to hate me?

I suppose kidnapping and locking him in my mansion wasn't the smoothest move towards that goal. If I could, I would kill my stupidity. But as they say, love makes you do crazy things.

Maybe if I let him outside a bit he wouldn't be so testy with me. But I don't want to treat him like some dog! It's bad enough I'm locking him in his room. He's worth so much more than that. Maybe a companion would level him out a bit, or a sparring partner he could take his frustrations out on.

I rolled my eyes.

Skulker would gladly volunteer for that position, I'm sure.

Perhaps I should ask Daniel first though. Knowing how utterly impulsive he is, he'd immediately assume I was sending someone to attack, not spar or befriend him. I doubt he would accept anything from me though, even the company of another person. He was so stubborn.

I sighed once more, but brought my though back to a more pressing issue. I know that Daniel's friends and sister will suspect me of his disappearance, if they don't already. I'll need to be prepared for them. They'll probably drag Maddie and Jack here as a pitiful attempt to distract me and then go search my house for Daniel. I could always keep the boy in one of the more distant and higher floors when they arrive, just in case they do make it past me and have a chance to look for him.

But what if they do see Daniel?

That...would be a disaster.

The only way to fix that problem would be to either threaten their lives, which they wouldn't care about, threatening Daniel's life, which would only hold them off temporarily, or erasing their short term memory of the event, which would require a hell of a lot of time in the lab.

My options were rather limited, but if I wanted Daniel to stay here forever, the third option was the only one.

Grumbling to myself, I downed the rest of the tea and headed off to the lab, hoping I could put those nanobots to good use.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

Danny PoV

* * *

It's day six of operation Escape the Fruitloop and so far I'm totally failing.

I've been stuck in my room for almost a week now, watching the sun rise and set over and over again. Some decrypt old ghost delivers me three square meals a day, but I don't eat any of it. It's probably all poisoned. Currently, all the food is shoved against the door. Hopefully Vlad will step in it if he ever comes in here again.

I sat on the marginally repaired bed and stared out the window. I was eternally thankful that I had the view of the outside world. I was sure to go stir crazy if I didn't have the small happiness the window provided for me. Granted, all I could see was a never ending forest and what looked like a water tower waaaaay off in the distance. But at least I had the sky. I imagined I was flying again, the wind in my face, blowing all my worries away.

I missed my family so much. They were probably worried sick. I missed Sam and Tucker too. I even missed Lancer. I sighed sadly, thinking about how scared my parents probably were. I know how crazy they get about their kids being in danger. My dad kicked the crap outta Plasmius when he thought Vlad was going to hurt his family. That was one of the coolest things I've ever seen.

Although I'd been all for it at first, I now had mixed feelings about Jazz, Sam, and Tucker coming to bust me out. I've had absolutely no success for almost a week and I don't want them to put their lives at risk just to get me out of here. I'd rather live with Vlad than be the reason one of my friends died or got hurt. And that was the only reason I'd want to live with Vlad. My friends safety. Yeah.

Hunger was gnawing at my insides like a furious bear. I knew I couldn't last much longer without food. I felt weak and heavy, but I wouldn't give in. Of course, it sure as hell didn't help that every single one of those damn meals was five-star-restaurant worthy and even as mold had started growing, the succulent smell of roasted pork and steamed vegetables and soft mashed potatoes with thick gravy and-Okay, time to stop thinking about food!

I quickly stood and ambled into the bathroom, shutting the door behind me and downing several gallons of water to sedate my dying stomach temporarily. The smell was much easier to ignore in here. I shuffled to the darkest and most hidden corner of the large bathroom and curled up, putting my head on my knees.

I shouldn't be doing this. The sudden thought ran across my mind, searing my brain with fear. Vlad will come eventually, and he'll be so mad. I glared at the spotless floor. No. It doesn't matter what Vlad does to me, I'll never be his little pet. He can hurt me all he wants, I won't bend to his will.

But still, I feared him sometimes. I'm not masochistic, I don't enjoy pain, and the thought of Vlad's future punishments sends me into a quaking mess. But I'll deal with it when it comes. No matter how bad it gets, I'll always take comfort in the fact that I am my own person. I don't belong to anyone, especially not Vlad.

But God I'm still hungry.

What on earth is he doing anyways? I thought he would at least check up on me every now and then to see if I'm actually listening to him and cleaning my room, but I haven't seen a single square inch of him. I don't care that he's gone, but his continuous absence had left me with that annoying calm-before-the-storm feeling. I'm so anxious about him discovering my ever defiant behavior that it's driving me up a wall. Literally. No, I'm dead serious. I've actually transformed into my ghost form and paced up, down, and sideways on the walls and ceiling. Call me crazy, but it kinda helps me think. I'm just so much more comfortable in my ghost form.

Maybe if I eat just a little tiny bite-no! No, Danny, stop. It's all probably poisoned with some crazed up weird stuff that will turn me into a vegetable or something. Do not touch.

I groaned and leaned my head against the cracked tile of the bathroom. Maybe I could clean my room more to distract me? I half heartedly looked up, surveying my work thus far. Everything single thing was shoved against the walls now, even the shards of glass. At least the floor was clear. I thought for a moment and decided the room was clean enough. I'm too tired to move.

...I really wish I could turn my stomach off.

The sudden sound of someone knocking on the door made my thoughts freeze.

"Daniel?" Vlad's voice came through the bedroom door and my hyper active ghost ears easily picked up on it. "Daniel, are you awake?"

Uh oh.

The door opened and I froze, my heart pumping madly against my rib cage. Ah! Why was I so nervous!

Silence reigned in the front room. I silently stood up, my body tense and ready for a fight, but it was quiet.

"Maybe he left..." I murmured to myself.

"And maybe not." said a dark, furious voice from behind me.

I gasped and spun around to find Plasmius' face not two inches from my own. He twisted me around and pinned my arms behind my back before I could blink. I could feel my bones reaching their limit as he applied pressure, but I willed my self to stay silent. He wasn't going to get any screams out of me.

"What on earth goes on in that foolish brain of yours, boy?" he sounded very very angry. I checked his shoes. Damn, he didn't even step in the old food. What a waste.

I didn't answer him and he growled angrily. He pushed me to the floor and then started dragging me out of the bathroom by my hair.

Like hell was I going to let him drag me around like a dog! I transformed quickly and went intangible, just managing to dodge his hand and an ecto blast. I flew to the ceiling against the wall farthest away from him. He glared at me.

"Daniel, get down here!" he shouted.

I had many witty and sarcastic replies to that, but I was so tired I couldn't spare the energy to say them. As it was, I was having a difficult time staying afloat.

"Alright then, since it seems you enjoy doing things the hard way."

He came at me and I wasn't fast enough to dodge. Gripping my forearms, he threw me to the ground and I slid to a halt in front of the moldy food. God, that stuff reeked up close. I felt his boot dig into my back, pinning me to the floor.

"I've left you alone for a week, Daniel! A _week_! How foolish of me to think you could handle taking care of yourself!" he roared.

I forced myself not to puke. I think something blue and fuzzy moved in the rank pile.

"What, so I'll be in top condition for you to _use_?" I hissed.

His boot was gone and suddenly I was flying through the air again. I smashed into the wall and fell to the floor, too tired and weak to get up. My body felt remarkably heavy for the lack of food.

"This is ridiculous, Daniel! Not eating food isn't rebellion, it's just suicide! Do you know how much those meals cost?"

"Why bother spending your _well earned _money on me? Think you can buy me over?" I glared at him. I really hated having to look up to talk to him, so I struggled to get to my feet. But I couldn't do it. It was like going ghost had just zapped all my energy and now I didn't even have the strength to stand. Again, I hoped Vlad couldn't tell.

Oh, but nothing gets by this sneaky little snake.

"Daniel, how long have you gone without food?" his anger was so quickly quelled and filled with such concern, that it stunted me. I was so thrown off guard I forgot to make my reply sound snappy and rude.

"About five days." I mumbled.

"Daniel!"

"Whaaat? For all I know that food could have been poisoned!" I sounded way too defensive in my own ears, but too late now.

"Why would I go through the trouble of kidnapping you, giving you an expensive room, and serving you five star meals if I was just going to poison you!" he said exasperatedly.

"How the heck should I know! Maybe you thought the irony of giving me a bunch of nice stuff before my death would be amusing? I'm not the fruitloop here." I glared at him stubbornly.

Vlad growled in irritation and pinched his brow.

"Take off your shirt." he said in a flat voice.

"Excuse me?"

"Your shirt, Daniel. I'd prefer if you didn't die of starvation."

"How is me taking off my shirt going to prevent starvation?"

He sighed, rubbing his temples.

"I'd just like to see how much you've been damaging yourself. It wouldn't do to have you die of starvation before I could get you to eat."

"Yeah whatever fruitloop. I bet you just wanna see me take off my shirt." I grumbled crossing my arms.

I have no idea where that comment came from.

Almost instinctively, Vlad and I glanced at each other, a very odd feeling passing between us. It was the strangest glance I'd ever experienced.

As I looked away a red blush rolled over my face and I glared at the wall, shoving down an oddly nervous feeling in my stomach. Vlad rolled his eyes and grumbled something about me being ridiculous, quickly phasing the shirt through me and gasping at my thin form.

"From now on, you'll be eating with me, so I can make sure you don't try to kill yourself." he said in a hard voice.

"I don't need a food Nazi." I mumbled, feeling oddly comfortable without my shirt on around him and wishing I didn't.

"Well apparently you do." I thought I heard the smallest hint of amusement in his voice. "You will eat Daniel, if I have to force it down your throat."

Oooh, that was an unpleasant image.

"Whatever." I muttered, thinking 'Ugh, more fun time with Uncle Vlad'.

I was lifted to my feet but I stumbled into him. He caught me before I could fall on my face. I didn't even bother trying to push him away. I was too tired. Besides, he was kinda comfy.

"Can I sleep?"

"No, you need to eat. Now."

I was silent, to weak to fight back. I saw Vlad smile and burned with anger.

He clamped something black on my wrist and I could actually feel my ghost powers being repressed. Damn.

Without warning he scooped me up into his arms bridle style, saying something about it being quicker this way. Hell no.

"Put me down!" I argued, kicking around and trying to push myself out of his arms.

They were like marble, hugging me close to his chest securely. Vlad smirked and didn't answer. I got the feeling that he was enjoying a private joke and I didn't like it.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much I could do but continue trying to squirm out of his grasp, like that was ever gonna happen. Ah well, at least I could be confident that he wouldn't drop me.

He carried me through he house and we came to a kitchen. I scowled. Vlad sighed as he set me down in a chair, finally. Honestly, I think he held on to me a little more than necessary, but whatever.

Before my brain could expand on that last thought, I was provided with a bit of a distraction. He cuffed heavy metal clamps over my arms and legs before I had a chance to kick him, pinning me to the chair. I almost didn't bother struggling, but it felt too out of character.

"Daniel, stop your squirming. You can't honestly think your going to escape." Vlad snapped as he rang a little bell.

Another decrypt old ghost came through the wall with a tray of hot food. She gave the boy strapped to the chair an uninterested look and floated away. It's obvious she was the star of customer service when she was alive. I eyed the food evilly and Vlad gave an exasperated sigh, changing back to his human form.

"It's not poisoned." he growled.

"Then you try some!" I snapped back.

"Your going to trust me weather you like it or not, so I'm not going to do anything."

"Oh! So it _is _poisoned!"

"Why don't you just eat the food? I know your hungry enough." Vlad smiled at me tantalizingly as he waved a mouthwatering, crispy seasoned chicken leg under my nose.

Oh god, that was really distracting.

"No thanks, I'd rather stay alive." I replied with less enthusiasm. Man that chicken smelled good.

"Says the half dead boy." He smirked as he cut a small piece of chicken off and stabbed it with a gleaming fork.

I didn't trust my mouth enough to open with a retort. There was a very high probability it would actually take the food like some pet.

"We can do this the hard way or the easy way." Vlad said, his voice suddenly hard as a rock.

And that was my cue, the mouth stays closed. Vlad glared in irritation. Without warning he grabbed my thigh and sent a _very _powerful shock right through my system. I yelped instinctively, and as soon as my mouth opened he shoved the stupid fork in.

Now I tried. I honest to god really _tried _to spit the food out, but as soon as that warm crunchy chicken hit my tongue it was all over. When I swallowed it I was suddenly five times hungrier than I was two seconds ago. I've come to the conclusion that my stomach is a traitor.

"There." Vlad said sarcastically, "Was that so bad?"

Damn bastard already had another piece on his fork. I glared at him, not wanting to be spoon fed like a five year old but really really _really _not wanting refuse the next bite. My traitorous stomach won out.

"No." I muttered grudgingly.

"Would you like some more?" Vlad was having the time of his life.

Yes! Yes! Yes! I'll do anything you say! Please give me food! I beg you!

I harshly told my stomach to shut the hell up and focused on answering Vlad and retaining the shred of dignity I had left.

"Yes." I muttered.

"Then open wide." he purred and I cringed.

Congratulations Fenton, your officially no longer a man.

I felt sick to my empty stomach as I let Vlad feed me. I glared at him murderously and I wanted to smack that triumphant little smirk off his face. I was probably blushing with embarrassment and that just made it worse. I tried to focus on my steadily filling up stomach and look at the positives of not starving to death, but the whole 'Vlad Plasmius is spoon feeding you like a baby' kept smacking me in the face. And I was still shirtless.

I really hated him.


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

Vlad PoV

* * *

Ah, Daniel's little blush was just the most adorable thing I had ever seen. I hoped to be seeing that color on his face more often in the future.

I couldn't help but smile as I fed him a cut of a juicy steak. Purposefully, I put it at an odd angle and the result was a small dribble of juice that ran down his chin. He scrunched up his face in the most endearing way and was about to ruin the effect by wiping his chin on his shoulder before I stopped him. I took a napkin and gently dabbed the mess up, hardly suppressing a laugh as his cheeks flooded with more color. I planned to have a lot of fun with this.

I stabbed a few noodles and rolled them onto the fork and held it out to Daniel, waiting. He paused.

"Vlad I can't reach that." He said in a small flat voice.

"Sure you can," I encouraged, "Just stretch."

He didn't look at me, but I could practically feel the waves of irritation rolling off of him. He didn't move.

"I know your still hungry." I said. His stomached growled at the perfect time.

Scowling, he reached out and practically inhaled the noodles as fast as he could, still blushing intensely. I couldn't help but chuckle a little at him.

I returned the fork to the noodles and repeated the action, holding the noodles out just a tiny bit farther. Daniel's pause was shorter this time, and he continued to take the food from me. Ah, I do so love to win.

After he finished up the noodles, I decided to really have fun.

"No."

"Oh come now Daniel. It's not any different than a fork."

"Bull. It's totally different and you know it."

"Well I can't very well use a fork for grapes."

"Then use a spoon."

"Were out of spoons."

"Then use a damn ladle!"

I scowled, sincerely disliking his use of such profane words. His lips were much to gentle for such harsh language.

"Watch your language Daniel."

He glared at me and I instantly knew by the look in his eyes that he planned on getting back at me for all this in anyway possible, starting with-

"Fuck you."

I promptly smacked him across the face, successfully destroying any and all dignity he had left. He glared at me hatefully, one cheek redder than the other. I decided to ignore it and return to my previous goals. I held out the grape to him.

He turned his head away.

I sighed. He was ruining my fun.

"How about I make a deal with you." I asked.

He was quickly interested, as I knew he would be.

"What kind of deal?" he asked, suspicion in his voice.

"I'll grant you a one minute phone call to either Mrs. Manson or Mr. Foley if you eat whatever I ask right now." I didn't see the harm in him telling his friends about his situation. Either way all three of them, Sam, Tucker, and Jazz, would come to my door eventually and the memory fabricators were more than ready. Might as well let Daniel think he was getting a treat.

Daniel stared ahead, thinking.

"One minute?"

"Mmhmm."

"And I can say whatever I want?"

"Yup."

"You swear?"

"I swear."

"...fine."

Good lord, sometimes Daniel was just too easy. I smiled.

"Then open up."

I should definitely do this more often. At first, the boy tried as hard as he could to not touch me at all, but I certainly wasn't having any of _that_, so held the grapes sideways leaving him no choice but to have my fingers in his mouth to some degree. He'd occasionally look at me suspiciously, but I was a master at hiding my emotions. So while it seemed as though I was absentmindedly holding the grapes in a different fashion on the outside, I was indeed going ballistic whenever his lips made contact with my skin.

Eventually, I moved on to bits of fluffy biscuits with small spreads of butter on them. I 'accidentally' got a smudge of butter on the corner of Daniel's mouth and had to wipe it away with my thumb. He didn't like that very much, but after the first time he tried to lick the butter off and instead licked my thumb, he kept to himself and didn't complain.

At the end, I got a little daring. I expected Daniel to instantly refuse, but he actually didn't put up much of a fight, much to my immense pleasure. I had dipped my finger in a small cup of melted chocolate that was on the tray and held it out to him expectantly, appearing completely nonchalant.

Daniel had stared at my chocolate covered finger for the longest time before coming to a decision. Either the phone call was really high on his priority list or he really liked chocolate, but either way he hesitantly leaned forward and slowly put my finger in his mouth, gently sucking and licking the chocolate off.

Jesus, I thought I would give myself away instantly. Thanking to the high heavens for my cool demeanor, I allowed myself to spiral away into a spin of pleasure, focusing on he feel of Daniel's tongue against my flesh in a different setting. One where it was dark and quiet and we were surrounded by soft pillows and Daniel was much more than shirtless-

"Vwaad?" Daniel muttered through the finger in his mouth.

"Hmm?" I grudgingly forced myself to come back to reality, looking mournfully at the retreating vision that I wanted so badly to happen soon.

"Vwaad." he said, a little louder.

Oh. Opps.

"Sorry Daniel, I must have been daydreaming a bit." I tried to sound flippant about it, but he looked at me suspiciously. Well wasn't he the perceptive one.

Danny sat back in his chair, oddly sheepish. I warred with myself for a moment, teetering, but my naughtier side won out. I dipped my finger in the chocolate again, and he had to respond for round two.

A couple fingers of chocolate and a glass of milk later and Daniel was trailing behind me like a lost puppy down a winding hall.

"Soooo, I get to call my friends now?" he asked hopefully.

"One of them." I corrected.

He was silent.

"Don't you have a phone, in like, every room?" he asked.

"The one your going to use can't be traced. I'm sure they'll guess you'll be at my castle home anyway, but it's not the only home I have after all and I've always been one for precaution." I explained to him, mumbling in an after thought, "Granted, you'll probably just tell them anyways."

"Duh."

We walked in silence for a minute before he spoke up again.

"Will my call get to be private?"

"Of course not, can't have you plotting against me while I'm not listening, now can I?"

Honestly, I wouldn't even be the tiniest bit worried if Daniel tried to collaborate an escape plan while I wasn't listening, but why waste the time to foil him and his friends pathetic plans when there was so much more we could do.

We walked into a room that was near the back of the house. It was almost bare save but a few simple art pieces and a large sofa. There was a simple, plain phone on the end-table next to the couch and Danny was there faster than I could say 'Jack's an idiot.'

I heard him punch in the numbers excitedly and I sat next to him leisurely.

"Sam?"

Of course, the goth girl. I knew he'd call her.

"Danny? Danny! Where are you? Are you okay? Everyone's been worried sick!"

She continued to spasm on the phone and Danny smiled, seeming to calm down at just the sound of her voice. I couldn't help but feel the tinniest bit miffed at that.

"I'm fine Sam, listen," He cut her off before she could ask anymore questions, "I've only got a minute to talk, literally. I'm at Vlad's place-"

"I knew it! Jazz has been trying to convince your parents to go up there. Their worried sick about you Danny, everyone is!"

"Yeah." He looked so depressed that I had the urge to comfort him, but I'm not sure it would mean too much coming from the man that's causing his misery.

"I'm at his castle in Wisconsin and I don't think he has any intention of letting me go soon."

Oh, you have no idea Daniel.

"Look, this is gonna sound weird, but I don't want you guys getting hurt and-"

"Oh no, don't even try to pull that one. We've fought plenty of ghosts with you before. We're not going to just leave you with _him_."

"Please Sam, I don't want any of you getting hurt. I'll be fine."

I found this blind statement amusing and laughed darkly, Daniel gave me a slightly fearful slightly apprehensive glance.

"I don't think he has any intention to kill me."

Kill your innocence maybe, but no Daniel, not you.

"Like that's any reason to stay away! I'm sorry Danny, but I'm not going to abandon you like that and neither is Tucker or Jazz. Were coming to get you out of there no matter what."

"I can take care of this myself, I don't wanna worry about your all's safety _and _escape. I promise you, I'll be just-"

And minutes up, time to say good-bye. I pressed my finger down on the call end button and smirked at Daniel's angry face.

"Would it have killed you to at least let me finish my sentence. Now she's gonna worry even more." Daniel scowled at me.

"That's not my problem, is it?" I replied smugly, "You had your minute, now it's back up to prison."

Danny looked crestfallen.

"But I just got out of there for the first time in six days. Can't I stay out a bit longer?" he pleaded.

I snorted in laughter.

"And do what? Take care of trying to escape? Not likely."

I stood up and transformed into Plasmius. Danny scrambled to jump off the couch, but I easily grabbed him and held him tight against me so he couldn't squirm free. Well, that and he was still shirtless.

Danny tried half heartedly to get free, but I carried him up through the ceiling and through the floors. We appeared in another spare room, the moldy mess gone and the room as immaculate as usual. I changed back into my human form and laid him on the bed. He practically jumped out of my arms.

"Would you stop carrying me around like that?" he snapped, avoiding my eyes, a light blush on his cheeks.

"I could drag you around by your hair if you prefer." I shrugged and he glared at me, but didn't come back with a retort.

"That's what I thought, now get some rest. I know your tired and you need to give your body time to digest all that food." I ordered.

He glared at me again, but got under the covers with no complaint. He must of actually been tired. I couldn't help but smile. He huffed angrily and buried his face in the pillow, promptly turning his back to me. I shook my head, still smiling. Sometimes his temper could be the cutest thing when it wasn't ripping apart my furniture.

"Good night Daniel." I said softly as I exited the room, shutting the lights off behind me.


	6. Chapter 6

Danny PoV

* * *

I woke up with a huge yawn, stretching out on one of the softest beds I've ever been in. I heard the sounds of birds twittering from the open window as a lazy warm air stole through the room, signaling the coming of summer. It would have been great if not for the fact that I was still at Vlad's castle.

Sighing, I turned away from the open window and buried myself in the cool covers. The bright sunshine pouring in seemed to mock me, doing nothing but throwing me into a deeper depression. Glancing at the clock, I saw the ornate hour hand on the 11. Lunch would be in an hour, and if Vlad held true to his promise, he'd be eating with me. ...darn it. At least I escaped breakfast.

Jeez, why did he even care? I'm just a thorn in his side, right? Just that unruly teen he can't control. God, _why _did he kidnap me? It's been a week and he hasn't made even the smallest step in making me submit to his crazy evil apprentice schemes. And he's been acting...weird...lately. Maybe he wants something new now.

I turned and laid on my back, the soft bed pressing into me perfectly, like a cloud. I stared at the ceiling, trying to imagine what it would be like to wake up like this every morning, just as something to pass the time. Ignoring the fact that I'm being held here against my will, it was kinda nice. Actually, it was really nice. No blaring alarm clock or icy ghost sense jolting me out of sleep. No yelling sister telling me to hurry up. No rushing to shower, put clothes on, and eat in two minuets. No ghost making me late to school and earning me another detention.

Living here certainly has its perks.

The sun stretched over my bed, leaving me to bask in its warmth with a lazy smile over my face. If only Vlad wasn't such a fruitloop.

Maybe we could get along someday. After all, we are the only two of our kind in the world. And...and Vlad's right. However much I want to ignore it, theres certainly a bond between us. It's like...like brothers, but deeper. I think. I forcefully ignored it, as usual, that funny feeling in my stomach picking up again.

Clearing my throat and forcing the funny feeling away more, I sat up from the bed, sunlight spilling over my still shirtless self perfectly. A lazy smile wormed its way on my face once more. Yeah. I could definitely get used to living here.

But as a cloud covered the sun, eliminating my warmth, my heart suddenly ran cold, the smile slipping of my face like dead weight.

"What am I thinking?" I whispered to my self, slightly horror struck, "My family is worried sick about me! My friends need me, my city needs me. I can't start getting used to living in a place like this. Especially with _him_."

Shaking my head, my mood darkened as I swung my legs over the bed roughly. I can't start liking it here, even if it _seems _like Vlad has done nothing but worry about my self preservation.

The sun came back, but its warmth was lost to me. Frowning, my eyes swept the room quickly and I spotted a bathroom door in the corner. I was in and out of the shower in five minuets, walking over to the dresser and pulling it open. I expected clothes to be in it and I wasn't disappointed.

"Does he have clothes for me in every room of this house?" I grumbled to myself, shifting through the button up shirts and hoping to god there was something more teen-ish in here.

Finally, I found something that didn't have buttons or cuffs. It was a deep green, short sleeve shirt, made out of a light material. The hole for the head was wider than normal, but it was comfortable so I didn't care. I managed to find a pair of long, dark jeans, but it was the only pair. I pulled some black socks on and ran a brush through my slightly damp hair, scowling into the mirror.

Finishing, I looked around the empty, sun filled room helplessly, feeling a little lonely. Birds were still twittering outside so I meandered over to the open window.

The view was spectacular. Forest stretched on for miles, fading into stunning purple mountains far on the horizon. The trees were occasionally broken up by what I guessed to be rivers or lakes. The sky was the clearest blue, only a couple pure white clouds here and there. The weather was warm, hot even, perfect for swimming. A smile found it's way back on my face as the wind kissed my skin, blowing my hair gently.

I wanted to fly out there so badly.

I glared at the little black bracelet encircling my wrist, wishing it would spontaneously break. I'm sure there was a shield around my room anyways, despite the bracelet, so it's not like I'd be able to fly out in that cool breeze anyways. Still, just floating around in my ghost form would be nice. Sighing dejectedly, I looked away from my wrist and contented myself with leaning on the window sill, breathing in the fresh air.

Until a knock at the door interrupted my bliss.

"Daniel?" Vlad asked through the door. Why doesn't he just phase straight through like usual? What evil villain knocks first?

Pushing my strange musings away, I looked to the door, staring at it flatly, making him wait.

"Daniel." he said again, a little louder. He wasn't giving up.

"What?" I called, comfortable at my spot near the window and not wanting to move.

"You've slept straight through breakfast. Your not skipping out on lunch either, come out here." he said matter-of-factly. At least he wasn't shouting.

Not wanting to be the one to start any conflicts, I held my rude retort back and went to open the door reluctantly.

"Why do you even care?" I grumbled, looking up at him when I opened the door.

"Well I'm not just going to let you starve." he scoffed.

"Yeah, but _why_?" I asked.

He just looked at me with a smile, a smile that was definitely hiding something. Instead of answering he simply held the door wider, his arm open as an obvious sign for me to leave the room. I crossed my arms, decided to be stubborn. He sighed, reaching in and pulling me out by my wrist.

"Hey!" I yelled, accidentally stumbling into him again. I really need to quit doing that.

"You act like I'm taking you to your death." Vlad rolled his eyes, shutting my bedroom door.

"Well it is _you_." I muttered darkly, brushing non-existent dirt from my clothes and glaring at him.

"Oh cheer up Daniel, you have no school work here, no ghost fighting, and I'm giving your free reign of the castle. It could be worse."

"Yeah. You could have kidnapped me and taken me away from my family, but thank heavens _that _didn't happen." I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Vlad rolled his eyes and pushed me forward.

"If you'd rather, I could stick you in my lab and experiment on you all day." His voice was light, as though we were chatting about the weather.

"Trying to get in with the guys in white now?" I repressed a shudder at his comment.

"No, just trying to show you that things could indeed be much worse."

I scowled at the carpet.

"What do you want to eat for lunch?" he asked after a pause, honest curiosity in his voice.

"Depends. Your not going to feed me again, are you?" I scrunched up my nose a bit.

"Well if you enjoyed it that much Daniel..." he drawled, a cat like smile on his features.

"I did not!" my voice stammered, a blush rising to the cue.

Vlad just laughed in amusement as we traveled down the stairs. Stupid jerk.

We walked into a hallway, leading deeper into the mansion. Windows opened the place up, spilling sunlight everywhere and lifting my mood despite the situation. The floors were polished to perfection, I looked down at them as we walked, seeing our warped reflections in the black and white tiles. Vibrant green plants seemed to bring the forest outside in, and windows were thrown open, letting the warm air dance through the house.

Vlad turned a corner and lead me into a small kitchen, a kitchen that was outside. We literally turned a corner near one of the windows and walked into a patio sort of thing. A fridge, stove, counter, and pantry were attached to the wall of the house, a small stone awning shielding them from the sun. They even matched the setting, being made of wood or painted in smooth earth colors. A small table for two was set out in the open, surrounded by waving flowers and breezy emerald green grass. And here I'd been expecting some dark, ancient, Gothic décor of a kitchen.

"Whoa." I breathed.

"You seemed unjustly surprised." Vlad commented with a light smile.

"There's something wrong here." I said, adopting my Sherlock Holmes tone.

"What, is it too righteous? Evil doers can't enjoy the pleasures of nature?" Vlad rolled his eyes, completely sarcastic.

"No, what happened to your servants? Evil doers can't cook." I looked around curiously, my voice flat.

"Then I guess that means I'm not evil because believe it or not, I can cook." Vlad turned to the fridge and pulled out a bag of assorted vegetables. They looked fresh from a garden.

"Uh...how do you-no, why are you cooking?" Even if he could cook, why would he waste the time? Surely he doesn't cook _every _meal.

"So you can't claim that there's poison in the soup, now get over here and make sure I don't try to poison you." Vlad glanced back, nodding to the space next to him on the counter top.

Okay, so the man had a point.

I hesitantly walked over to the open kitchen, slowly inching myself closer and closer to Vlad. Hey, just cause he had a good point for making the food doesn't mean he has a good point for using such a huge knife to cut the vegetables. I was gonna be ready for anything.

His focus was slowly taken away from cutting the greens into small bits and he stared at my tense form, giving me a look. Rolling his eyes and sighing exasperatedly, he unexpectedly dropped the knife and lifted me up, my butt plopping onto the spare counter space.

"What is it with you and picking me up?" I grumbled, giving him a dirty look and glaring off into the trees.

He just continued cutting the vegetables, that secretive smile on his face.

Eventually it became too tiresome to keep my glare up, so instead I gazed leisurely at the area of yard we were in, taking in the scenery. The foot ball field was nowhere in sight, and other than the forest about fifty or so yards away, nothing took up the area except for a very nice and very large pool off to the far side of my vision, complete with its own island.

The clang of pots directed my attention back to the man cooking our meal, and I forgot to make sure he wasn't poisoning the food. He filled the pot with water, but instead of placing the pot on a burner he held his hand under it as red ecto-fire flared. The water was boiling within thirty seconds and a satisfied smirk came from Vlad.

"How'd you do that?" I couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Do what?"

"Get the water to boil using ecto energy without the water coming alive and trying to eat you." I was totally serious, and my straight face told Vlad that.

He gave me a confused look that questioned my sanity, raising an eye brow and mutely asking for an explanation.

"My mom tries to cook using ecto energy. She successfully creates hot-dog, ham, and turkey monsters each time." I stated matter-of-factly.

A smile tugged at my lips as Vlad burst into true and honest laughter, sounding so much better than that maniacal laugh he gets when he's doing something wrong. In fact, I actually like his laugh.

He gripped the unused stove for support, breathing deeply with a grin still displayed on his face.

"I'm serious," I went on, hoping to get him to laugh again, "One Christmas the turkey reared up and attacked Jazz. Completely devoured her hair."

He laughed again, deep and ringing, echoing across the stone patio. I didn't even know he _could _laugh like that. Finally, he got a hold of himself, wiping moisture from his eyes and stirring the vegetables in the boiling water.

"That," he chuckled, "Has got to be the most hilarious thing I have ever heard."

"I can tell." I barely noticed that I was grinning from ear to ear, my legs swings in the air.

Conversation came easy after that, so much so that I didn't stop to think about what I was doing when I started helping Vlad cook. Sitting on the counter was boring, so I helped out by measuring spices and oils. Vlad would throw different things in the pot now and then; soon the smell wafting from the concoction started making my mouth water.

"...So that's when I decided to order a map of this place." Vlad laughed lightly, finishing his story about how he first got lost in his own castle and stumbled into a mold filled cellar he didn't even know he had.

"That's a sign, genius. Get a smaller house. Who the heck needs all this space anyway." I threw up my arms for effect, looking up to the tall spires that rose so high above us.

"Well once I buy the Packers..."

I snorted, laughing at his pipe dream. Vlad playfully smacked me in the back of the head, so I flung a green bean at him.

Finally, the soup was done. We set out bowls and Vlad pulled out a thick loaf of bread, a long bread knife resting beside it. We casually sat for lunch, never breaking conversation. It was amazing at how much we had to say. Usually, if your with someone you don't like, conversation is forced and awkward, but we totally clicked. I realized that I've never actually talked with Vlad before. He was quite relateable.

The sun hung high in the sky, beating down on us with it's heat. The food had been finished ages ago, but it was so nice out that we didn't bother going inside. In fact, we did the last thing I would ever imagine doing with my supposed-to-be arch enemy.

"I liked the tree so much that I decided to just build the pool around it. After all, how may pools do you see with a large weeping willow right in the middle of it?" We were looking at, obviously, the pool. The long sweeping leaves of the green willow tree tickled the crystal water, making soft ripples.

"Actually," he murmured almost to himself after a pause. "I think I'm going to go for a swim. Care to join me Daniel?"

I stared at him, a lot of conflicting emotions barging me at once. Swim? With him? And was asking me? Not just demanding I go and dragging me in? Well jeez, how could I say no if he was _asking_? But he's my enemy. You don't swim with your enemy, you swim with your friends. But is he really my enemy? Oh and there was one other, really big, potentially disastrous problem. I couldn't swim.

"Daniel?" I snapped back to reality at the sound of his voice. He was still looking at me, waiting for an answer.

"Um..." I winced and shrugged a little, going with neither yes or no at the moment, "I can't swim."

He stared at me incredulously.

"You can't swim." he stated in disbelief.

I shook my head, shrugging helplessly again. He paused.

"Well we'll just have to fix that then." he replied, standing up and taking a majority of the dishes to the sink.

Wait, what?

Was he seriously going to teach me how to swim?

"Uh Vlad?" I stood up hastily dumping the rest of the dished in the sink and rushing after his retreating figure frantically.

"I don't think that's a good idea." I breathed, catching up to him.

"Why not? What if you get shot down in a fight and revert to your human form, only to land in a lake? Or what if one of your friends gets tossed into a large body of water and you have to swim to save them? It's a perfectly good idea, besides, every one should know how to swim. It's like learning to ride a bike."

"Uh..."

"Please tell me you know how to ride a bike, Daniel?" Vlad sighed, never breaking stride.

"My dad gave us ectoguns when we were seven, not bikes." I shrugged, a smirk tugging at my lips.

Vlad rolled his eyes at that and muttered something I couldn't hear.

It seemed that we were upstairs in record time and I realized my efforts to deter Vlad from his teach-Danny-how-to-swim goal was not working out.

"Swim trunks will be in the spare room. If not just call for Stephen and he'll show you where to find some." he said, giving me a gentle push into my current room. How did we get here so fast?

"Stephen?" My brain was spinning.

"He's my head butler. Try not to take too long now Daniel, or else I'll come in and drag you out." He warned, towering over me with a marginally dark smirk and closing the door with a snap.

That's more like the Vlad I know.

Still, his stupid logic made sense. I never even thought about what I would do if I was stuck in human form and Sam or Tucker fell in a lake. That would be bad. So, muttering murderously to myself, I jerked open the top drawer, shifting through till I found a pair of red swim trucks with heavy pockets on the sides and a white draw string.

"Darn it." I muttered, having hoped that they wouldn't be in there.

I pulled them on, still muttering to myself when I threw my discarded clothes on the bed. I guess there would be towels outside, cause I wasn't about to go look for a laundry closet and find another secret cellar for Vlad.

Tentatively, I opened the door of my room, peeking out with an odd bubble of nervousness in my stomach. I didn't see Vlad anywhere, so I quietly closed the door with a click and scampered down the hall.

The path to the back patio was easy enough to remember. All I had to know were a few key ugly statues and then boom, the whole house opened up and lead me directly outside. I tiptoed my bare feet across the gleaming floor, peeking out of the French door to the pool, seeing Vlad already there and setting out a couple towels.

I still couldn't believe that was was going to get swim lessons from Vlad Masters. This must be like, every females dream.

Still remaining silent, even though I had no idea why, I tip toed to the edge of the side walk leading to the pool area, getting a much closer view of Vlad and letting my jaw go slack, that weird feeling surging through me unexpectedly..

Holy crap, Vlad was frick'in gorgeous.

Weird thought, I know, but how could I deny it when the stunning proof was standing in front of my face? I mean, I'd always known Vlad was an attractive guy. Crazy, but still pretty attractive.

Attractive is an understatement.

He moved fluidly, all of his muscles defined and perfectly proportional. Unlike a nasty body builder who is more top heavy than a Hooters girl, Vlad's body was perfect in size anyway you looked at it. His hair gleamed like silver in the bright sun, falling like a waterfall of riches when he pulled it out of the black tie and let it cascade around his shoulders.

I could feel my heart rate quicken and a red blush tinge my face, enraptured by the man before me. The man who I had to keep reminding myself was a fruitloop and such thoughts should not be associated with him, especially from me. It would be more than a disaster if I started crushing on Vlad.

But damn, he was still hot.

"Daniel your drooling." Vlad grinned, teeth shining white.

I jumped, not having noticed that he caught me staring. My blush flamed across my face and I suddenly wanted to drown my head under the water.

"Shut up Vlad." I mumbled, moving self consciously to a chair near the water and trying to glare at him. His chest was very distracting.

Vlad grinned wider and hopped in the pool, water swirling a little below his waist. He gave me a look and made the 'come here' sign with his finger. I swallowed thickly, butterflies in my stomach.

"Don't make me come out and get you." he warned.

Scowling, I stood up stiffly, still severely self conscious. Vlad waited patiently as I inched over to the pool, the gleaming water lapping gently against the concrete edge. I peered over the edge as one would do with a cliff, looking nervous. After about two seconds of consideration, I walked over to the stone steps leading into the water and started my decent.

The water clung possessively to my waist. I held my hands above the water, looking at the offending liquid apprehensively. I slowly made my way towards Vlad, who was leaning against the edge with an amused expression.

"Any day now." he quipped.

"I'm working on it." snapping at him but refusing to take my eyes away from the water.

"It's not going to eat you."

"It will if I ever go deeper."

"You mean _when_ you go deeper?" Vlad said casually.

I couldn't help but snap my head up at him.

"When?" I croaked, suddenly watching myself drown in the twelve foot section.

"You can't very well learn to swim in three feet of water."

I glanced fearfully to the deeper end of the pool, trying to hid my emotions from Vlad. It was fruitless of course, because nothing gets by him.

"I'm not going to let you drown, Daniel." he said seriously, sincerity filling his voice with such magnitude that I actually believed it.

I was barely two feet from him; thankfully, the cool water had calmed my blush from before. Vlad smoothly walked through the water, standing very close to me, so close that I had to look up to see him.

"Do you trust me?" he asked calmly.

"Not a chance, fruit loop." I grinned back.

"Then teaching you to swim might be a bit difficult." He muttered, rolling his eyes slightly.

"Okay, there's about three basic things you need to know about swimming, at least enough that you won't drown. How to swim forward, how to stay afloat, and how to go underwater. We're going to start with going underwater."

"Uh, do we have to?" I asked nervously. I didn't relish the thought of submerging myself in the dark airless liquid, especially with him in the capable position to hold my head under the water.

"It's not difficult. As long as you don't breath in the water you'll be fine."

"It's not the water I'm too worried about." I muttered to myself, looking away.

Vlad sighed exasperatedly.

"Have I done anything this week to make you think I want to kill you?"

"Not this week..." I trailed off, emphasizing the word 'this' and drawing it out.

Vlad paused, looking thoughtful.

"What if I go under with you?"

I thought about it for a long moment, but finally relented.

"I guess that would be okay." I said, a little unsure.

Vlad smiled in relief.

"Good, problem solved. Now give me your hands."

"Why?" I asked, but resting them in his own anyways.

"So your paranoia can be sure I'm not going to drown you." Vlad explained in a flat tone, moving his hands against mine and interlocking our fingers together.

And that was how I got to holding Vlad's hands under the cool waters of his pool, putting a fair amount of trust in him as far as I was concerned. I couldn't see anything, but I could feel the heat from his hands as he held mine in a tight, but gentle hold. It felt protective, something I never thought I'd feel from him.

But then again, I've been getting all kinds of weird feelings around Vlad lately.

My lungs slowly started to burn, but I didn't want to be the first one up. My stubborn pride wouldn't let me. I tensed up automatically as I ran out of air, gripping his hands and shaking my head under the water, trying to resist the temptation of sweet oxygen not three inches above my head. Unfortunately I succumbed to the need quickly, shooting up and breaking the crystal surface as I greedily sucked in air.

Vlad breathed heavily in front of me, giving me an impressed look.

"That was...well over a minute Daniel." he gasped, our hands releasing as we massaged our burning chests.

"Almost...beat you." I smirked shakily, still panting.

Vlad looked at me with a competitive half grin.

"Almost."

That, of course, sparked a who-can-stay-underwater-the-longest game. The first couple times I still wasn't completely trusting him, but as I got closer and closer to outlasting him I cared less about trust and just started enjoying myself. I was pleasantly surprised when I beat Vlad on the fourth try, and then the fifth and then the sixth. Finally, Vlad cheated and poked me in the stomach while we were under, making me laugh and inhale water.

"You(cough)jerk!" I hacked, smacking him playfully.

Vlad shrugged helplessly, grinning.

"I totally beat you." I taunted, giving him a smug look.

"Finally. This is the first time you've won against me since we met, what, a year ago?" he crossed his arms.

"Is not. I've beat you plenty of times." I frowned.

"Sure, with a lot of help and an obscene amount of luck."Vlad scoffed.

"Technicalities, Vlad. I won in the end didn't I? So there, I've beat you before." I remained stubborn.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night Daniel." Vlad drawled.

"Hey!"

He grinned cheekily and placed his hands on my hips, turning me around. My fiery retort died on my lips and I felt my heart rate accelerate again. The contact of his hands on my hips was electric, the more intimate touch sparking a new slew of emotions and desires that I quickly repressed. I suddenly wished he would punch me instead. This new, soft touch was almost too much to handle.

"If you've finished stalling, we have a swim lesson to complete. I assume your ready to try swimming forward now?" He said in a low voice, leaning over my shoulder and looking down at me.

I tried to focus on what he was saying.

"Uh..."

"I'll take that as a yes." he replied cheerily.

His hands traveled tantalizingly up my body, moving smoothly down my arms till he gently gripped my hands within his. He got even closer to me and I couldn't help my breathe hitch slightly as my back touched his chest, torn with the sudden desire to lean into him. Was...was he doing this on purpose?

"The easiest way to swim forward is with the breast stroke." he continued as though nothing was happening, "Cup your hands and move in a wide sweeping motion to help propel yourself forward."

He gently demonstrated by moving my body in the way he was describing, leading me through the motions, leaning into me and then leaning back.

"Of course, it only works when you keep kicking your feet up and down." he chuckled, the light laugh rumbling in his chest behind me.

I swallowed thickly again, trying to quell my madly pumping heart. What was wrong with me?

He moved us back in a standing position, his hands resting almost possessively on my hips once more. That funny feeling picked up in my stomach again, making me want him to hold me tighter, to...to touch me _more_. I really didn't want to swim anymore.

"Daniel?" he asked curiously.

"Uh, I gotta go. I...don't want to swim anymore." I moved away from him as quickly as I could, hastily getting out of the pool and wrapping a soft white towel around me protectively.

I didn't look back at him as I ran into the mansion, droplets of water flinging off me and marring the perfect floor. Once I turned the corner of the bright, open area, I bolted down the darker halls, the carpet molding to my bare feet.

I wasn't moving fast enough, even though everything was a blur around me. I finally got to my room, not the new, spare one but the old one I trashed. Back to the room where I still hated Vlad.

Wrenching the door open, I stumbled in, pulling it closed behind me and locking it tight. Then the wall broke and I sunk to the ground as all the emotions attacked me at once.

What was that? What _the hell _was that? Why didn't I punch him? Why haven't I been rude to him? I haven't I been the usual, irritating, pain in the ass? Why didn't I hate him!

"What is wrong with me?" I whispered to the cold empty room, the wreckage surrounding me. "He kidnapped me. He took me away from my family. Why did I feel those..._things_."

Unbidden, the memory of Vlad and I in the pool came to mind, that addicting electricity flashing through me, making me crave more. I gripped my wet hair, squeezing my eyes shut and trying to ignore it. But it was like waking up a beast and, after a straight year, I couldn't ignore it any longer.

I know it was wrong, and I know it doesn't make any sense, but what was I supposed to do? What could I do? Hell, barely even knew what _it _was.

"Man, I'm going crazy here." I croaked, burying my head in my arms.

What was wrong with me?

* * *

Aww, Danny's so clueless. :3


	7. Chapter 7

Vlad PoV

* * *

For the first time in many many years, I was nervous. I don't remember the last time I was this nervous. In fact, it was almost akin to fear. And to think a fifteen year old boy reduced me to this state.

Daniel had been in his old room, the one he refused to clean. It confused me as to why he'd go there, but I wasn't about to ask him. Admittedly, it had taken me a while to find him, but once I did I discovered him curled in a ball on the floor, right in front of the door. He was wrapped up in the towel, his gentle breathing brushing dry hair.

Unable to help myself, I'd picked the boy up and flew him to the spare room, softly laying him on the bed and wrapping the covers around his delicate form. I didn't want him sleeping on the hard floor all night. He mumbled slightly in his sleep when I brushed the hair out of his eyes, leaning his head into my hands as he slept. I smiled lightly, leaning down and kissing his forehead on an impulse.

I knew that I'd gotten Daniel thinking yesterday, and I could only hope he was thinking what I wanted him too. Of course, my more logical side was telling me what I moron I was, but I ignored that.

I'd eventually left the room, nervous about the coming day and still nervous about it now, the next morning. However, I couldn't let Daniel starve himself. (We'd missed breakfast _again _and I couldn't stall the inevitable confrontation much longer) Thus, I forced myself to climb the first set of stairs, taking the long route up to his more distanced room on the third floor to kill time. But I'd barely turned the corner when a loud heavy knocking came from the front door, catching me mid-stride. Curious. Who would come visit me at my own mansion unannounced?

I looked down from the railing to see Stephen heading for the door, looking every bit like a human, when the answer suddenly slammed into me, making my brain instantly flying into overdrive.

"No no, I'll get it Stephen." I called, hastily changing direction and traveling down the stairs.

He gave me a questioning look, but nodded dutiful, his hand inches away from the handle.

"I need you to get a couple servants to guard the door to Daniel's spare room. Tell me immediately if he leaves and don't let him see you. I'll be with humans so make sure your discreet, understand?" I gave him my full attention, showing how important this was.

"Yes Sir." he nodded gravely, disappearing in the air to complete the task.

I took a deep breathe, hearing the knocking once more, hoping I could pull this off without Daniel becoming aware.

"Maddie! Jack! How wonderful to see you." I smiled, my perfect mask fooling all five people who stood on my doorstep. Well, almost all five. Jasmine, Samantha, and Tucker were giving me very dirty glares from behind Jack's wide girth.

"Hello V-man." Jack said in a melancholy voice, the most subdued I'd ever seen him.

"Jack, you look horrible. What's wrong?" My eyes swept over their faces, concern coloring my tone.

"Oh Vlad, the most horrible thing has happened!" Maddie choked with watery eyes. "Danny's been missing for over a week now and we can't find him anywhere!"

"What?" I whispered in horrid disbelief, "The little badgers gone missing?" I pretended to be frozen in shock for a moment before giving a start as though just realizing something.

"Where are my manners, please, come in come in." I ushered them forward, ignoring the three children's glares but keeping a close eye on them.

"The den is just around the corner, you can explain everything-Jasmine? Please don't wander off, my house is very large after all and it wouldn't do for you three to get lost." I reasoned, quickly catching the trio's attempt at giving me the slip.

I heard Samantha curse harshly and discovered where Daniel learned his bad language.

"Kids? What are you doing? It's rude to wander of in other people homes, I expected better of you." Maddie scolded, causing Jasmine to bow her head in shame.

"Sorry Mom." she muttered.

I led all five of them into the den I picked out for this very occasion. The den with a bathroom in it. I'm sure this feature will come in handy when trying to prevent the three annoying ones escape.

"Now," I began, watching them all take a seat and putting myself close to the door, having full view of it. Jasmine noticed this and cast me a glare.

"Tell me what happened." I implored, giving away no sign that I wanted them to hurry up and go home.

"It's the strangest thing, V-man. We woke up about a week ago and Danny was just gone! Plucked straight from his bed it seems. We think it was a ghost, cause who else could have just grabbed our son from his room in the middle of the night?" Jack tried to reason.

"But Dear, It couldn't have been a ghost. Our sensors would have picked up the spectral energy and alerted us." Maddie shook her head and patted Jack's shoulder affectionately.

Unless Daniel secretly disabled such an alarm so he could live peacefully in his own home. I smirked inwardly to myself.

"Yeah, it's so weird. It's like some fruitloop just came in and disappeared with Danny." Samantha shook her head sadly, shooting me a pointed glare.

"The world these days is just too cruel." I agreed mournfully, really starting to not like her.

"Please Vlad, we don't know what else to do. Have you seen Danny at all?" Maddie pleaded.

"I'm sorry my Dear, but I haven't seen Daniel in months." I lied straight through my teeth, all the while praying that Daniel wouldn't decide to leave his room three floors up and cause me to take drastic measures.

"Are you sure your haven't seen him _anywhere_ Vlad?" Jasmine watched for my reaction, and I could help but taunt her.

"Not at all." Maddie and Jack bowed their heads in sadness, giving me the perfect opportunity to shoot the three a dark smirk. I watched them simmer in their anger and fear with amusement.

"Of course, I could set the very best of investigators on the case immediately." I turned back to the mourning parents, my facade of sympathy in place once more.

"Would you Vlad? I hate to seem so desperate but..."

"It's no trouble at all Maddie. I'm worried about the little badger as well and I'd hate for anything horrible to happen to him." That was actually an honest statement, but judging from the looks the three younger ones were giving me, they didn't think so.

"Thanks so much Vladdie, I can't repay you enough." I'd never seen Jack so calm before. It was very unusual.

"I need to go to the bathroom." Samantha suddenly stood up, looking triumphant.

"Yeah, me too." Tucker was right behind her.

"That's no problem," I smiled as I saw their faces start to fall. "There's a bathroom right behind you. I'm sure Mr. Foley will have no trouble waiting, after all the next nearest bathroom is quite a walk."

They looked crestfallen, the goth girl trudging over to the bathroom to prevent any suspicion. Tucker fell back to the couch in defeat. Jasmine looked nervous, realizing that they were running out of time.

"Uh, what investigators are you going to hire?" she asked, fishing around for questions to stall with.

"Top of the line, I guarantee it." I assured them all, not deceiving Jasmine or Tucker.

They scowled, Jasmine looked for another question, but I didn't want to waste anymore time. Daniel needed his breakfast soon.

"I'm sorry to rush you so, but I am expected at the office shortly, and I simply can't be late." I said in soft tones, keeping an eye on Samantha as she returned. She looked as though she was going to bolt for the door.

"Wait! Uh...When are you going to hire the investigator?" Jasmine smiled hugely, not fooling anyone.

"As soon as I get to the office I'll call the best in the books." I assured her, standing up as a signal that it was time for them to leave.

Thankfully, Maddie and Jack understood, standing up as well. Jasmine was looking frantic. I kept an extra close eye on the three as I led them back to the entrance hall, taking note of how desperate they were starting to get. I wouldn't put it past them to bolt.

We were turning the corner, the door in sight when a disembodied voice came to my right, soft and very quiet.

"He's heading downstairs." The voice warned, and I felt my adrenaline kick in, but not letting my company know. I had to get them out the door before Daniel got in earshot of them.

Furtively, I picked up the pace slightly, breathing with relief when I grasped the door handle and held it wide open, watching the Fentons, Ms. Manson, and Mr. Foely troop out sullenly. But as the parents headed for the car, the three foiled teens twisted around a glared hatefully at me.

"Don't think this is over Vlad. We're getting my little brother back no matter what." Jasmine hissed, the other two nodding in fervent agreement.

"Thats nice. Now if you don't mind, I need to go feed Daniel. Ta." I smirked at their furious faces. What did I care if they knew Daniel was here. It's not like they could do anything about it.

"Kids? Come on, we don't want to make Vlad late!" Maddie called from the large RV they drove.

The three gave me a last murderous glare and stalked off. I quickly shut and locked the door behind me, turning around with a sigh of relief just as Daniel's unique ecto signature registered, alerting me that he was right around the corner.

I walked casually from the door, heading up the stairs innocently, cooling my nerves. All was safe, I reminded myself, Daniel won't be going anywhere. I was halfway up the steps when he came from around the corner, dressed in navy blue, plaid pajama pants and a loose, long sleeved, matching blue shirt. He froze when he saw me, not expecting to run into me so soon. From the rush of unexpected visitors, I had momentarily forgotten about Daniel's no doubt chaotic emotions. I appeared calm on the outside, acting perfectly normal despite my nervousness, surreptitiously observing his expressions.

"Good morning Daniel, I was just about to come wake you." I broke the silence, watching the internal confliction that was displayed on his face slowly disappear.

"Did...did you move me to my other room last night?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I didn't want you sleeping on the hard ground." my reasoning was logical yet surprising. I'm sure the boy was wondering why I would care about him sleeping on the hard ground, but he'll no doubt figure it out soon enough.

He looked as though he were waiting for me to ask why he was in the destroyed room, but I wasn't going to play the oblivious game. He and I both knew that something significant happened yesterday, even if Daniel isn't quite sure what that something is.

I myself know quite well what I did, placing him in a situation that stirred up certain emotions and feelings inside him. Weather or not they're good for me has yet to be determined, but seeing as he's not trying to avoid me, I have a slight suspicion that his emotions and desires are playing in my favor. Surely, Daniel can see the bond between us, surely.

I snapped myself out of my musings. Now was not the time for thinking.

"Breakfast?" I prompted.

He snapped himself out of his own reverie and nodded a little sheepishly, lightly stepping down to my side as I waited for him.

"You do know it's almost noon again." he said after a pause.

"Yes, but we missed breakfast yesterday, so I figured having breakfast for lunch today would make up for it." I shrugged. Silence fell again. I commented on mundane things to lighten the mood and avoid and awkward silence.

"It it impossible for you to wear anything not made of blue jean, cotton, or sleep wear?" I raised an eye brow.

"All you've got in those drawers are church clothes," he scoffed. "This is like, the last outfit left that doesn't make me look like a total snob."

"So your saying I look like a snob?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Usually," he said casually, grinning cheekily, "Not so much today though."

I took note that Daniel didn't understand that a simple pair of black pants and a long sleeved button up shirt is casual.

"Well you look like a bum." I muttered.

"Hey, I'm fifteen. It's how I roll." He smirked, thankfully starting to loosen up.

I rolled my eyes at his logic and lead the way into another kitchen. The day was rainy, more like spring weather, so we would be dining indoors today. This kitchen wasn't nearly as open as the outside setting, but several large windows still let the sun in when it shined. Currently they were covered in thousands of water droplets, making the room look a bit too depressed for me.

Daniel took in the setting as I closed the curtains, the lighter print on the cloth brightening up the room better.

"Anything in particular you'd like?" I asked, his beautiful eyes falling back on me.

"I don't really care. Cereal is fine." he shrugged, jumping up on the counter and watching me, until a grin wormed its way on his face.

"Got any fruitloops?" he asked cheekily.

I rolled my eyes, resisting the temptation to push him off the counter.

"I'm making eggs." I mumbled, pulling out the necessary tools and ingredients smoothly.

Daniel laughed lightly, his voice dancing on the air around my ears like dryads, making me smile. I loved his laugh.

"How many will you eat?" I asked, wrapping an apron around me and cracking an egg in the skillet.

"I dunno, three?" he probably shrugged behind me.

"Do you know how to make bacon?" I asked.

"Nope." came his flat rely.

"Well then I guess it's time to learn that too. Come here and help me make breakfast." I sort of asked, wanting his company.

Danny sighed and hopped off the counter, walking up next to me.

"You'll want an apron." I reached into a drawer and gave him one, explaining why as he put it on.

"Bacon tends to spit the grease out of the pan, so the apron will keep your clothes from becoming filthy."

He was a fast learner. All I had to do was point him in the right direction and he basically picked up on it himself. I looked forward to teaching him how to use his ghost powers.

"This stuff smells amazing." he commented, taking a deep wiff of the meat as it sizzled in the pan.

"It better, it's imported."

Daniel rolled his eyes and pressed the spatula to the curling strips, the heat rising up and grease occasionally jumping out.

"So far, I've only seen you cooking the food. You don't do this all the time, do you?" he asked, honestly curious.

"Not usually. I didn't make any of those meals that you so adamantly refused to eat. Most of the time I'm too busy to cook." I flipped a third egg.

"That reminds me, what were you doing that took up five days straight?" suspicion colored his voice.

"I was working in the lab." I answered vaguely. I wasn't about to tell him that I was busy building three memory fabricators to use on his friends if the situation called for it. Thankfully, so far it hadn't.

He watched me for a few more seconds, but soon realized I wasn't going to say anything more on the subject.

"Fine, keep your schemes." he muttered, pressing on the bacon again.

I smirked and stayed silent, unrelenting.

"So what do you actually do when your home alone?" he sounded as he couldn't see me doing anything but making up new schemes all day.

"I don't plan world domination." I said dryly. Daniel looked at me in mock surprise.

"Really? That's shocking." he looked at me with wonderment till I smacked him in the back of the head. He smirked up at me with a laugh, lightly pushing me back.

"Believe it or not, but I actually do have a life outside of being an evil demagogue." I smirked at his confused look.

"Get a dictionary Daniel," I respond to his unanswered question and he scowled.

"Usually I spend the day doing paperwork for my companies. _Then_ come my schemes to obtain the Packers. After that I usually relax with a book." I paused, deciding to throw out another tidbit about myself that I'm sure would surprise him. "When I have time I like to play my violin as well, but I don't get to do that as often as I'd like."

Danny dropped the spatula on the stove, quickly retrieving it, looking at me with true shock.

"_You _play the _violin_?" he looked dumbfounded.

"Of course. All rich people play instruments. It's an easy way to show the media that your sophisticated." I smirked at his agape mouth.

"Don't look so surprised Daniel. Is playing an instrument too _human _a quality for me?"

He closed his mouth and shot back a sarcastic reply.

"Yeah, thats one thing." then his tone was more serious, "But you just learned to help your image with the paparazzi?" he sounded on the verge of disbelief.

I nodded.

"But isn't the violin really really hard to learn? I thought it took years to master." he looked at me suspiciously.

"It does, but you forget that I'm Vlad Masters." I said arrogantly, making him scowl.

"Whatever, I bet your not even that good." he mumbled. It was painfully obvious that he didn't believe a word of that statement.

"I'll prove it to you after breakfast then." I finished off the last egg just as Daniel finished with the bacon, scooping it on a plate and soaking up the excess grease with a napkin without me telling him too.

"Fine." he said lightly. I think he actually wanted to hear me play.

Smirking smartly to myself, I poured us each a glass of milk and we wandered over to the table, silence filling the room as we started to eat. For a moment the only sound was the clinking of utensils as we both sat in the comfortable silence, thinking about nothing in particular.

"So what do you do on days that you aren't at school or fighting ghosts?" I asked casually, genuinely interested. I loved learning new things about Daniel.

"Uh..." he furrowed his brow, looking as though he was having a hard time remembering. How much of his time did he spend ghost fighting?

"Well, I usually have detentions after school because I'm always late to class." He winced. "And I usually just hang out with Sam and Tucker whenever I can." He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"We all used to spend hours at Tucker's house playing video games and listening to music before I got my ghost powers. That or we'd play pranks on Jazz all day to piss her off." he smiled at the memory.

"Don't you have any hobbies?" I asked.

"Ghost fighting." was his prompt reply.

I frowned. This kid seriously needed a break. I made a mental note to tell all the ghosts in the Ghost Zone to back off a bit.

We went back to eating quietly, falling into comfortable silence once more. I was pleased at the pace things were moving. I had expected Daniel to still be throwing things, but he'd gotten control of his temper quite quickly.

"Tell me about your friends." I asked, starting up conversation.

He gave me an odd look, the clogs in his brain obviously turning. Even so, he answered me and I listened with rapt attention the entire time.

Breakfast soon finished after that. I learned that Daniel was very fond of his friends and he had no life outside of ghost hunting. I would need to fix the latter.

We cleaned up after breakfast quickly enough and I led Daniel back up the stairs, having every intention of shamelessly showing off my instrumental abilities. He walked briskly next to me, looking forward to seeing me play. He peppered me with questions the entire way up.

"How long have you been playing?"

"Just a little over four years."

"Do you have your own violin?"

"I have three."

"Do you play for other people?"

"Defiantly not, this is more of a personal hobby with social benefits."

"Where are we going?"

"My room."

Danny paused in surprise but quickly caught back up to me, a little more subdued.

"Your room?" he questioned hesitantly.

"It's where I always play."

We came to the great mahogany doors, full of detailed carvings and intricate designs. I swung the door open and stepped in, Daniel slowly stepping in after me, gasping at the size and looking around with guilty curiosity.

"You might need a quick tour." I noted.

A desk took up only a small corner of my room, miscellaneous papers stacked on it. The rest of the room was set up in sections. There was a living room section, complete with fireplace. A reading section with a book shelf that almost extended the entire wall. My four poster bed was made up of one monstrous, king sized, pillow littered mattress. The last open space of wall was taken up by two French doors that led to a deck. The deck was made of stone and at the press of a button an awning would set itself up. There was another, smaller couch and several potted plants outside too. I caught Daniel eying the telescope outside from the the French doors, a glint in his eye.

I had only one picture in my room and I caught Daniel staring at it as I picked up a violin case from beside the fireplace, it's hot flame flickering warmly and casting a pleasant glow around the darkened room.

Daniel stared at the picture of himself that rested on my beside table. It was of him smiling happily, waving at the camera from a blustery looking day. A red stripped scarf was wrapped around his neck and dancing on the wind, a light brown jacket tight on his shoulders.

I was a little nervous at his silence. He didn't comment about the picture and I didn't explain it. As far as I was concerned it was just a picture, granted it was probably the only material item I had in my entire mansion that I actually cared about, but he didn't have to know that.

He bounced over to the couch that was positioned in front of the fireplace, the one that my case rested on. His face was inscrutable, but he relaxed easily into the couch so I suppose he wasn't unnerved by the photo too much. I applied a bit of rosin to the bow, since I hadn't played in a while. Daniel watched with growing wonderment as I tuned effortlessly, drawing the hair across the strings and hearing the crisp sound resonate through the delicate box.

"Anything in particular?" I asked, not really knowing what to play.

"Dude. I listen to Dumpty Humpty and sleep through music class. I barely know what a violin sounds like."

I rolled my eyes.

"Right then." I murmured, racking my brains and playing one of my more favorite pieces, starting slow and then increasing the tempo.

I must have met Daniel's standards of 'master' because his mouth dropped when I played a string of sixteenth notes for about twenty measures straight, not breaking once. The notes flew from the strings, echoing beautifully off the marble fireplace and flying in the air around us. I felt a small smile tug at my lips as my long fingers danced over the neck of the instrument, moving as one being in perfect rhythm.

Eventually, I lost myself in the music, and I think Daniel did as well. He was staring into the fire, his expression one of deep thinking and eyes glazed. I played on, pausing for barely four counts before starting up another song. Time seemed unable to touch us as we settled into the captivating notes. I made a mental reminder to play more often. I felt my stress and nerves leave me when I drew the bow across the strings. Eventually though, Daniel came back from the dark recesses of his mind, looking made up about something but to what, I couldn't even fathom. He looked almost determinded.

I was just wrapping up the Beethoven's fifth, wishing I had the accompanying orchestra with me, when I ended on the final note to see Daniel watching me with a relaxed smile, completely at peace with himself.

I removed the string instrument from my shoulder and set the bow on the couch, staring at Daniel for a moment as the silence of the room slowly came back to us, the crackling fire making the only noise.

"You play beautifully, you know." He told me quietly, a little blush rising to his face.

I hid my surprise at the blunt compliment well, floored that we would be so openly nice to me.

"Thank you." I smiled.

I paused a moment longer, before I set the small violin back in its case, zipping it up tight and resting it against the wall once more. I sat on the couch with my arms resting on the back, close to Daniel, but far enough to give him his space. The rain was heavy, pouring down in buckets from the sky and splashing against the closed French doors.

The dark and cloudy sky made it appear to be later than it really was. Because of the dark sky coupled with the comforting fireplace, one would guess that it was night, not the late afternoon. Still, time couldn't reach us just yet, and we continued to sit in silence, neither of us really wanting to do anything but relax in the calm between us.

I caught Daniel glancing at me several times, looking as though he were debating with himself about something. I watched the fire twist and bend, waiting for him to make up his mind about whatever it was he was thinking. Eventually, he came to a decision and hesitantly crawled closer to me, looking a little nervous. I looked over to him and gave him a silent but welcoming smile, another fire dancing within me as he settled in beside me. The light blush still rested on his cheeks, but he smiled in satisfaction as he snuggled closer. He leaned his head on my shoulder and closed his eyes slightly, sighing softly.

Almost as hesitantly as his crawl had been, I lowered the arm that was resting on the back of the couch and draped it over his shoulders. Whimsically, I hugged him briefly with that one arm and stared off into the fire once more, the light smile on my lips hiding my true elation.

We sat like that for the longest time, neither of us saying a word.


	8. Chapter 8

Danny's cluelessness is like holding water. Sometimes he's got, and then he doesn't.

* * *

Danny PoV

* * *

Maybe this was wrong, maybe I shouldn't be doing this, but honestly, I just didn't care anymore. I always ignored that feeling, that longing in my chest whenever Vlad and I would fight, always blaming in on the rush of battle. I always repressed it, never admitted to it, not even to Sam and Tucker. I was tired of the denial.

As I leaned against his strong form, his arm wrapped around me, I started to feel that longing lift its head and sniff the air tentatively, like a bear coming out of hibernation. This time, I let it wake instead of forcing it away, determined to get to the bottom of this mystery no matter what.

I had no idea how I was going to do that, but so far I've sorta gone with what I wanted or felt and it landed me practicality in Vlad's lap. It didn't feel wrong to me, in fact, it felt perfect, like I'd found the missing piece to a puzzle.

I'd been worried, no, terrified that I was crushing on Vlad, of all people, but isn't a crush when you fawn over someone and become blind to all their bad qualities? Well I sure as hell wasn't blind to Vlad's wrong deeds and I definitely didn't fawn over him, so it had to me something else, right? Or was it something more? Did it have to do with the bond we undoubtedly shared, the fact that we were the only two of our kind, the only two able to understand each other? Or was it something else entirely? Something that I wasn't alone in. A sort of attraction that Vlad shared as well.

Unfortunately, I seriously doubted Vlad felt anything like _that _for me, but it would certainly explain a lot. The random kidnapping for instance. They say people do crazy things for love. Or the fact that Vlad hasn't tried to kill me once this week. Actually, he hasn't tried to kill me for months. The biggest sign is probably the growing indifference to my mom. As weird as that sounds, he hasn't said a word about my mom once this week, and the last time he was at our place he barely looked at her. In fact, now that I think about it, he was looking more at _me._

But I'm a scrawny fifteen year old with a C average. How could I possibly compare to the media-proclaimed richest, smartest, and sexiest man on earth? The idea was laughable.

Still...the feeling I got whenever I was around him was persistent. It was times like these, wrapped in his arms and in our own little world, that I could let my more dangerous emotions loose and lose myself in him, pretending I wasn't being stupid to imagine a relationship between us that went farther than fellow halfas. Pretending that what I wanted deep down was at my fingertips, and all I had to do was reach out an grab it.

I really wish I knew what the hell this was.

We sat together till the fire sunk lower and lower, finally going on nothing but fading embers. The darkness of the room made itself apparent, but I hardly noticed, too wrapped up in my own little world. What time was it?

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"It's starting to get late, do you want to go have dinner?" he asked gently, looking down at me.

"It's already that late? Jeez how long have we been up here?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know, but I'm sure most days will go by fast for someone who sleeps in till noon everyday."

I shrugged, smiling lazily.

"I don't get to sleep much at home." I explained, still thinking about the sinfully soft beds he owned.

"Clearly."

There was long pause as we fell to our thoughts again, till Vlad seemed to remember his previous question.

"So it's safe to assume your not hungry?"

"Not really."

"Then how about a quiet movie?"

I looked up at him with slight confusion. He wanted to watch a movie with me? Swimming was one thing, and, well actually a movie wouldn't be that different from just sitting here doing nothing right? Still, Its been fused in my brain that whenever someone asks to watch a movie with you they want to either be a close friend or something more. I was probably seeing waaay too much into it though. It was just a simple question.

"Depends," I answered slowly, "What kind of movies do you have? Casablanca? Any chance you have a movie or two thats not in black and white?" I quipped, a cheeky smirk on my face.

He gave me a smug look.

"Actually, I'm more of a horror/slasher movie kind of person. For example, Dead Teacher VIII."

No freak'in way.

I gapped at him like a fish out of water. That movie wasn't even in theaters yet! And thats really besides the point. Vlad likes slashers? And not just any slasher flicks, but the dumb ones that are pretty much full of senseless killing. Either this guy was way more morbid than I ever imagined, or...nope, actually theres nothing positive about Vlad liking slashers. If fact, in a very morbid way, it totally fits.

"I can't believe you, of all people, like slashers. There full of nothing but stupid people getting eaten, crushed, or disemboweled in some horrific and ridiculous death." I shook my head disbelievingly. "On second though, never mind. It totally fits."

"Exactly. Whats not to like?" he grinned.

I stared at him.

"Your such a fruit loop."

Vlad flicked me in the head, and abruptly stood, causing me to fall flat on the couch.

"Hey..." I pouted, missing his warm shoulder.

Vlad laughed, the same true laugh that made the butterflies start, and I suddenly wanted to laugh with him.

Still smiling, he pulled me up and I stood on two feet, brushing invisible dust from my comfortable clothes. I took my time, stretching and yawning, looking around the room with a lazy smile and trying Vlad's patience.

"Are you quite finished?"

"Almost." stretching once more and throwing him a playful smirk.

Vlad rolled his eyes and then grinned, 'payback' written clearly on his forehead.

"Oh for the love of-put me down!" I yelled, thrashing a bit when he lifted me up bridal style.

"It's your fault for taking so long."

I scowled, but said nothing more, crossing my arms and glaring at the wall as he transformed into Plasmius, the black rings crossing over me comfortably. He paused to look at my sulking self and chuckled.

"You and your temper." he shook his head, a fond smile on his face.

I raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment as we fell straight through the floor. I'm sure that would have surprised anyone else, suddenly sinking through the floor and basically free falling down many levels, but I was so used to it I hardly noticed.

In no time at all we melted through the ceiling of an in-home theater, but not like the one I saw at the reunion a year or so ago. This one was more personal, looking comfortable for two, maybe three people at most. After all, the only place to sit in the whole room was a plushy love-seat.

Overall, it was smaller and much cozier than any theater I've been in. The TV screen was practicality just as big though. The dark purple carpet and dark red walls practically disappeared in the shadows. Little triangular lights along the walls gave off a soft glow. A popcorn stand, complete with candy and drinks, was set behind the couch. The couch itself was a deep red, matching the walls. It was in the center of the room, with a little table in front of it. Soft fleece blankets were thrown over the back, and two big fluffy pillows rested against the armrests.

Vlad set me down and went to go put the movie in, leaving me to meander over to the love-seat and plop down in it, sinking like an ocean liner.

"Vlad, your couch is eating me." I announced. He looked back at me and laughed in amusement, shaking his head.

The screen lit up the room, banishing all the shadows. I blinked my eyes for a moment before it switched to commercials, returning the room to its comforting darkness. Soon the title screen flash in front of us, showing a zombie-ified teacher running after several stereotypical teens. Vlad picked up a remote from the small table and pressed play, finally sitting back into the couch next to me. Very close next to me. His arm was even thrown casually over the back of the couch like it had been upstairs. I wasn't sure if he was doing this on purpose or not, but it made him look very comfortable to lay on.

"Oh, wait!" I twisted around and grabbed one of the large fleece blankets throwing it over my curled knees and inadvertently over Vlad's lap.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

"No, but I always gotta have a blanket when I'm watching movies cause it just feels weird if I don't." I half-winced sheepishly.

He stared at me.

"And you call me a fruit loop." he muttered, turning his attention back to the screen.

I let the comment pass and scooted closer to him, resting up against his strong chest just as I did upstairs, loving that feeling as it came back, stronger than usual. Vlad casually placed his arm around me again, looking down to smile at me once before the movie started.

The first ten minuets were dull and we mostly spent the time picking out which characters would die first. The basic plot of the movie was simple. A party was being held in the old abandoned school and once the sun set the zombie teacher would come out and kill them all. Then school would randomly turn into one of those horror houses you see at carnivals except there's only one exit and it's in something stupid like the ductwork.

"Glad I didn't pay money to see this. Its just like the last one." I frowned in disappointment. Even some of the ways the victims died were either the same or very similar.

"Mmhmm." Vlad nodded in understanding, looking disappointed as well.

But it was funny watching all the victims do stupid things that would only lead to a more horrific death, so of course we watched it. However, after ten gory and ridiculous deaths, it started getting a little boring. I felt my attention wanning, which was never a good thing.

I could almost hear Vlad's heartbeat.

It was an odd thought, but more interesting than the movie. It beat at a steady pace, each dull thump strong and purposeful. I wonder if my heartbeat sounded like that?

The darkness in this small theater was definitely more enclosing than in his room. There were no windows to signal the coming of night, but it didn't make the room feel like a prison at all. If anything is was better. I got the feeling that I could do anything I wanted down here and there wouldn't be any consequences. This was a dangerous thing for me to feel, but I hey, I didn't care. It was _liberating._

Then Vlad started rubbing my shoulder. It was was simple action that my dad had done many a time, or my mom and even Sam. However, I don't know what it was, but it was significantly different as his gentle fingers seemed to reach through the thin blanket and stroke my flesh. And now that I think about it, that might actually be what he was doing.

I waited for uncomfortable goosebumps to come, but they never did. That feeling flared sharply and I followed it dutifully, whimsically pressing my face into Vlad's chest. He smelt really good, like pine trees during autumn. I thought I heard Vlad's heartbeat speed up a bit, but I was to busy trying to calm my own pumping heart to really notice.

His fingers trailed up, brushing my neck and caressing my hair, finally bringing on the goosebumps. Unfortunately, (or...was it Not unfortunately?) the goosebumps were definitely out of pleasure, not alarm. The feeling told me to scoot even closer to Vlad and I did, my curled legs resting slightly on his crossed ones and hands, almost instinctively, clutching his shirt.

The more he stroked my hair and played with my neck, the more my logic slipped away, the feeling taking over and a content smile swimming on my face. Should I be worried about where this was going? Hell, where _was _it going? I didn't really know, but I kinda wanted it to come faster.

I could barely hear the screams from the movie anymore. They weren't very important. We sat in silence for a while, comfortable and close. My fingers played with the hem of his un-tucked shirt subconsciously. Damn, he movie was already halfway over. I sighed quietly.

I must of accidentally caught Vlad's attention, because he looked down at me with a question of concern on his face. I smiled up at him, showing him I was fine and he smiled back, returning his attention to the movie.

"You know this movie really is horrible." he commented. I suddenly noticed how deep and attractive his voice was.

"Yup." I agreed, that feeling starting to make me spin with desire. God, I wanted to...or was it him to?...I don't know! Something!

His hand on my neck moved. He pulled me in a different position inconspicuously, leaning more against him than the couch. His hand moved down my skin, tracing the indents of my spine and resting on my hip casually from under the blankets. I practicality laid on his relaxed chest, the warmth of his body stronger than I'd felt from any other person. Then again, I usually didn't lay on people like this.

"We might as well turn it off and go to bed." He shrugged, cutting into my brain.

Aw, but I didn't wanna.

"No thanks I'd rather finish it." I said too quickly.

He looked back down at me with that knowing gleam in his eye.

"But I thought you just agreed that the movie was horrible?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, but, I mean, that doesn't mean we have to just turn it off, right?" I replied, failing miserably at trying to sound light and convincing.

"Uh huh. Do you usually watch movies you don't like?" he raised an eye brow.

I stayed silent, not wanting him to know how much I was enjoying the feeling of his hand draw lazy circles in my skin. I think he said something though, so I tried to come back to earth.

"Huh?" I wasn't really listening as I pressed myself against Vlad, starting to succumb to the feeling that was spreading through me.

"I said we might as well go off to our separate rooms and go to sleep." he pushed, I got the distinct feeling he had something planned up his sleeve. That feeling intensified rather quickly when his warm hand moved from my hip and up under my shirt, fingers stroking the soft skin of my back. I felt my heart rate climb drastically, but in a really good way, like I was about to get something I didn't even know I wanted.

"But I don't...want...to..." I trailed off, finally getting his previous words to process in my fuzzy brain, moving against him automatically as his fingers danced.

The hand moved tantalizingly lower, regretfully leaving and trailing back up to my neck out from under my shirt. He gently brought my face up with a single finger, I looked into his resolved eyes, eyes that were so very close to mine. The butterflies increased dramatically, my heart was thumping madly against my ribcage. Almost imperceptibly, he lowered his face closer to mine. I could feel his warm breathe tickle my lips and my limbs felt like lead with anticipation.

"That's good," he said, his voice low and captivating, his breathe drawing me toward him, "Because I don't want to go to bed either."

My heart exploded and eyes widened as his lips pressed against mine, that feeling, that _desire_ consuming me in a matter of seconds. I melted against him, unable to hold back a soft moan when his lips moved like velvet, molding and possessing me.

A hand tangled in my hair, and another clutched my back. Need radiated from his persona and I wrapped my arms around his strong neck, holding him closer to me. Vlad moved fluidly as he leaned me back into the couch, resting on top of me and kissing gently, a hand now caressing my face.

My hands clutched the shirt above me, roaming over his shoulders and to his hair, feather soft and glossy. I pulled the hair tie out, not really registering what I was doing but wanting to feel the soft strands between my fingers.

Another one of Vlad's hand trailed down my chest, slipping under the thin cloth and making my back arch slightly as he teased the skin.

He deepened the kiss, running his tongue along my teeth. His lips still moved like silk against mine. A little nervously, my own tongue tentatively met his and he clutched me tighter as though begging for more. Less hesitantly, I pushed against him smoothly and soon invaded his own mouth. He groaned heavily, craving more and intensifying the kiss.

My breathe hitched when he started dragging my shirt up higher and higher, obviously with the intention of removing it. I think, in the back of my mind, logic tried to make it's way through, but my desire promptly pushed it away, totally at ease with controlling my thoughts. Thoughts that were most certainly not of hero quality.

Vlad pulled the shirt through me quickly, possessing my form with both hands, lips finally moving away from mine only to travel down my jaw and nip at my neck, sucking and biting the skin erotically. My back arched, pushing against his chest. I wanted his shirt off. Now.

Cursing the fact that I couldn't phase it through him, I settled to opening it the normal way. My shaking fingers weren't cooperating very well though, and I blessed Vlad's insight when he gave me the sexiest cat-like grin and phased his own shirt through him, not wasting two seconds before he pressed our bare skin against each other.

I moaned in pleasure. God, I wanted more! My nails dug into the skin of his back and Vlad groaned, returning to kiss my lips hungrily. My hands tangled in his hair, I didn't want to stop. Ever. It was like every thing was ten times more sensitive, every touch, every kiss. It was addicting. But when Vlad started grinding our very prominent arousals together, my brain exploded into a chaotic frenzy, my logical side suddenly gaining a very loud voice. A very loud obnoxious voice.

_Not so fast stupid! Slow down! _

My desire told the voice to shut up. Actually, _I _told the voice to shut up.

_You'll regret it! You have no clue what your getting into! Take. It. Slow._

I didn't want to listen, I mean, I reeeally didn't want to listen, but the nagging in the back of my head made unfortunate sense. I didn't exactly know what I was getting into, and I didn't want to ruin it. Besides, it's not like my conscious was saying no. It was just saying take it slow. I could do that, right?

"V-Vlad stop..." I breathed, wanting to kick myself.

Thankfully, he ignored me. Oh, wait...not thankfully. Oops.

I hissed in pleasure when he bit the skin of my neck again, his groin grinding against mine in the most electrifying way, setting me on fire with pleasure. But then his hands started going lower. And lower and lower and-okay, okay, I gotta stop him.

"Vlad stop." I said again, more forcefully.

He sighed.

"Do we have to?" he murmured in a husky and very appealing voice, his lips brushing against mine.

"N-yeah." It was insanely hard to concentrate.

Vlad brought his hands away from the hem of my pants and cupped my neck, falling beside me gently. I turned with him, still kissing passionately as we laid together, so very close.

"Alright." he relented, sounded totally bummed but understanding. I was surprised. I thought it was gonna take a lot more than asking to get him to stop, much less understand.

It was weird. We laid in each others arms calmly, waiting as our madly beating hearts slowed. The air between us was still, waiting for some kind of reaction from the other. But we just stared. Laid there and stared, neither of us wanting to move. I shivered from the cold air brushing against my bare back and Vlad reached up and covered us both in a large fleece blanket, finally breaking our locked gaze.

It was so warm. So much better, a million times better, than all the beds in the mansion. Vlad's chest was flush against mine, his arms wrapped around me protectively. I buried my head in his soft skin, whimsically kissing his neck once. He held me tighter, kissing the crown of my head, another hand stroking my hair. I smiled into his chest, feeling(as clichéd as it sounds)complete. Feeling as though I was finally whole for the first time, as long as Vlad was there.

Vlad. _The _Vlad. The one who got rich by stealing his fortune. The one who manipulates his way to the top of the game. The one who's tried to kill my own dad. The one whose known nothing but bitter loneliness for the past twenty years. The one who had to deal with his powers all alone. The one who loved me so much he tried to frigg'in clone me. The only other hybrid, the only person, who could ever truly understand me.

Yeah. That Vlad. I grinned, finally figuring out what the feeling was.

I think I was in love.

* * *

So the last paragraph is cheesy. **Shut-up!**


	9. Chapter 9

Okay peeps. Sorry for the wait, had some family issues. Writers block is such a fat cow too, and it still won't go away, but I've got till chapter 11 ready so I'm just gonna post them one at a time instead of the usual post-vomit I favor doing.

_On another note_

So the rents found out about a not-so-secret girlfriend of mine and were a wee pissed off. SO because they don't like their daughter being a lesbian, I missed my junior prom and they _raided my laptop_. If you read my stories, you understand what an epic DISASTER that is. However, I'm such a sneaky genius, I managed to get all the uh...incriminating...stories on a USB port and they were none the wiser. The point of telling you this is I might have some trouble posting things for a while. The rents also want me to type on the first floor of the house with the rest of the family cause they don't like me spending five hours in my room. It's going to be difficult writing my beloved VladxDanny with them hovering over me BUT I WILL PREVAIL!

...And that's pretty much it. Sorry again for the long update.

* * *

Vlad PoV

* * *

I felt perfect, so completely perfect. I woke later than usual, my internal clock failing me for the first time in twenty years. My head was oddly thick and I felt more relaxed than I ever had. Was this from sleeping in late? It took me a moment to remember where I was at and what had happened, but the shifting of a smaller body in my arms immediately brought back my memories at full force. My eyes shot open and I gave a start. Oh this was not good. He was going to hate me. Last night had to have been a dream, there was no way that Daniel Fenton was right now curled up in my arms-

"About time, Sleepy head." his voice was sarcastic, but light, cheery even.

I couldn't help but look down at him as though he had grown three heads. First of all, he was awake before me, which was a shock in its own right. But how long had he been awake just lying here? Where was the frantic screaming?

"Hello? Earth to Vlad?" he poked me in the nose.

"Daniel, are you feeling ill?" I muttered, not believing I was lucky enough for this to happen.

"No, why?" he looked affronted.

I blinked at him. Maybe, despite the fact the we're both shirtless and wrapped in each others arms, he didn't remember.

"Do you remember what happened last night?" I asked slowly, waiting for him to start hyperventilating.

"Uh, yeah. Kinda hard to forget _that_." he sounded so carefree. He raised an eye brow and asked, "Are _you_ feeling ill?"

I blinked, a sense of awe coming over me.

"Just...a little...surprised." I explained the best I could, shock running through my system. Daniel didn't hate me. My god, he didn't hate me.

I blinked at him for a moment before falling back to the pillows, staring at the ceiling. Daniel propped himself up on his elbows and watched me with curiosity, his head tilled slightly in the most adorable way.

"I should have kidnapped you ages ago." I muttered, a smile finally worming it's way on my face.

He snickered.

"I know. To think, all I had to do to catch you off guard was a little tongue action. I could of been winning battles left and right!"

"If only." I rolled my eyes, sarcasm dripping from my words.

"Ha. You wish." he grinned impishly.

"Daniel, I don't _need _to wish." I said mischievously, smirking coyly at him.

Some where in the back of my mind, I was still shocked, but a wave of elation was slowly spreading through, erasing everything till I felt nothing but true happiness for the first time in twenty years.

"Are you sure your okay? Your smiling." he raised an eyebrow again and smirked.

"Gee, I can't imagine why." I rolled my eyes.

He stared at me for a pause, a pleased smile of his own resting perfectly on his face.

"You should smile more."

"I might loose my edge in the ghost zone if I did that."

"Oh, thats right, evil villains don't smile, do they?" he smirked, lying his head on my chest and looking up at me.

"Nope."

Daniel rolled his eyes.

"What? I'm not an evil villain to you anymore?" I mock pouted.

"Evil villains aren't good kissers." he said simply, a light blush rising to his face.

I stared at him. There was no way I was this lucky. My disbelief started coming back. Making sarcastic quips about last night is shocking enough, but the fact that he was directly acknowledging it? There had to be something else going on here.

"Why..." I started out hesitantly, hoping, praying, that this question wouldn't somehow ruin everything. "Why are you so calm about all this, Daniel?"

He looked away, unable to meet my piercing gaze, the blush increasing.

"Well...I guess it's because...you were right about that connection between us, but I mean there's more to it. I dunno. I guess I...always ignored it, ever sense we met, cause I didn't want to feel anything but hate towards you. But then I was here and you weren't being a total jerk and that feeling starting coming back a lot more and I couldn't figure out what it was till last night, and now I kinda don't...wanna go home."

Wait, he wanted to _stay_?

"I think I finally know what it is," his brow furrowed as he continued babbling. I hung on to every word. "Once I started listening to that feeling instead of pushing it away, I felt more, I dunno, together, you know? Like I found something I didn't even know I was missing. I felt...I felt..."

"As though, for the first time, you were finally whole." I finished quietly for him, gazing at his perfect face.

He looked up at me and slowly smiled, gratefulness shining in his eyes.

"Yeah..." he breathed.

We stared at each other for a while, feeling something timeless flow between us. He was watching me with-dare I say it?-love, and that bitter loneliness was washed away forever. I felt like living life to the fullest, as long as Danny was by my side.

"See? We both totally understand each other. How perfect is that?" I laughed slightly at his once again carefree voice.

"Perfect." I agreed, cupping his head with my hand, feeling the soft midnight hair.

Danny read my mind, leaning in close and pressing his wonderful lips against mine, absolutely no hesitation. We both shivered slightly as the electricity flowed between us, unbound and receptive equally on both ends. He moved to deepen the kiss and I responded, turning to lean over him, his back pressed into the couch. His arms snaked around my neck, hands playing in my hair again. I held his hip in my hand; it fit like a glove.

"I love you Danny." I breathed as we kissed, unable to hold it back any longer.

He grinned and clutched me tighter, elation jumping off his form. My hand trailed slowly up his chest, feeling the rivets of muscle and soft flesh. His delicate fingers danced over my skin, waking passion. We were lost to time once more in the darkness of the small theater, neither of us intending to resurface for a very long time.

------------------+

"Hey, you called me Danny."

His tone of sudden realization and wonderment made me laugh. Did he really just notice? We were already upstairs and eating.

"A little slow this morning, are we?" I teased.

"I've been a bit preoccupied." he smirked.

"But it's about time you learned my frigg'in name." he muttered after a pause.

"You do realize that 'Danny' is a nickname for 'Daniel', right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So your name is Daniel, not Danny."

"No it's not. My birth certificate says Danny on it." he replied smartly.

"Does it? Must have been Jack's doing." I mused.

"Hey."

"Sorry, force of habit."

He rolled his eyes and sighed exasperatedly, returning to his food.

Turns out we'd been in that theater for a very _very _long time, and emerged into sunlight once more at the crisp time of two o'clock pm. I'd never slept in so late in my entire life. Granted, I wasn't sleeping so much as I was busy kissing Danny, but I still hadn't seen the sun till two in the afternoon.

"You know, we haven't had breakfast, or at least had it at the actual breakfast time for about three days now." Danny commented.

"I blame you. Your sleeping in problem is rubbing off on me." I said flatly.

"Oh, sure. Blame the teenager. Haven't heard that one before." He rolled his eyes skyward, bitter memories hidden in his tone.

"I'll bet." I scoffed sarcastically, shaking my head with a smirk.

As silence fell between us, my thoughts strayed to all the times Danny Phantom had been blamed for everything ranging from ghost attacks to higher taxes. Unfortunately that somehow got me thinking about how worried his family is about his disappearance which brought on an odd batch of guilt (more for the fact that Danny misses his family though) which made me face the fact that, if I looked at Danny's best interest, he really couldn't stay here forever no matter how much I wanted him to. Or how much he wanted to for that matter.

I know he misses his family. How could he not? I can't let him make such impacting decisions when he's no doubt on the same high of desire as I am. It's one thing to hold him against his will, but with last night...everything has changed. If I could do anything for him, I'd want him to be happy, even if that means returning him to his family.

But my selfish side puts up a strong fight. I really didn't want him to leave. Although, I do know of a way to satisfy any homesickness he has, temporarily at least, and at the same time I might be able to avoid any more schemes from Jasmine and his friends. But that would require a little confession. Ah well, he'll find out soon enough any ways. First things first, though.

I stood from my chair and walked over to the teen. He looked at me with confusion but I didn't say a word as I pressed a few buttons on his wristband and pulled it apart. I returned to my seat after throwing it in the trash can, catching Danny's look of mild surprise.

"Oh, I forgot about that thing. Thanks." he shrugged, putting it behind him and focusing on his food once more.

I waited for a moment, debating weather or not I should go through with my plan, but finally relenting. I couldn't keep Danny a prisoner here even though he wanted me too.

"Danny?" I started.

"Hmm?" taking a drink of milk.

"I have to go sign for a new company tomorrow, so I'll be gone a majority of the day..." I trailed off, watching Danny's reaction.

It was easy to see that Danny was putting two and two together. Removed wristband and a complete chance to run off to Amity Park while Vlad's gone? He slowly put the glass down and wiped his mouth with a napkin. The ghost maid came and removed our plates without a word as he gazed at me with a slightly suspicious look.

"I was serious when I said I wanted to stay." he said.

"Yes, I know, and I'm hoping that you'll come back. Preferably by 6 o'clock. I just figured you would like to go and see your friends and sister since they know your here."

His suspicion turned to shock.

"They know I'm here!?"

"Yes, about that..."

"What did you do?" he glared suspiciously, looking like he was getting ready to scold me.

"I didn't do anything!" Good lord, that came out too defensive. I took a deep breath. "Yesterday morning, while you were asleep, your family came here looking for you and asked for my help. Your sister and two friends were there to try and find you, but I kept too close of an eye on them to give them a chance. They left after vowing to return and save you from my evil clutches." I rolled my eyes. "I figured that since you probably miss them to begin with, you could go visit them while I'm at work and persuade them not to come busting through my doors on a rescue mission. It would be potentially disastrous if they walked in on us doing something...socially unacceptable."

He blinked, apparently just realizing that possible situation. Does he ever think ahead?

"Oh. Yeah it would."

He paused, obviously not angry that I didn't tell him about his family before hand.

"But how am I going to explain to my friends that I'm coming back here?"

"Simple," I shrugged. "Just tell them your on some heroic mission to turn me from my evil ways or some such nonsense. Sounds like something you'd do anyways."

"That's not going to hold them off forever."

"No, but it will for a while at least."

I fell silent. This...this was probably the best time to tell him anyways. Might as well be responsible and get it over with. My selfish tendencies won't help anyone in the end.

"Danny." I said quietly.

He tilted his head inquiringly.

"You can't stay here forever." I said gently.

He was silent for a good while, fiddling with his finger nails.

"Yeah, I know." he breathed. "But I want to."

He paused again, not finished with what he was saying.

"If things hadn't turned out like this, you would have kept me here forever anyways though, wouldn't you?" he sounded curious.

"Probably, but that's because I'm unashamedly selfish. Because of how circumstances have turned out, I can openly care for your well being without you getting suspicious." I paused. "Your family needs you Danny, just as Amity Park does. Not to mention school you have to catch up with. I'm definitely not saying you can't come back, but for your best interests, you need to return home soon. Probably in a week or so."

I wanted to kick myself. Of course he can stay here forever! Why are you sending him home? But I ignored my selfish side for once. It was best for Danny. Unfortunately.

"How often can I come over?" he asked quietly after a while.

"Anytime you want. I'd prefer it if you came back everyday, but that's a little unreasonable." I frowned, wishing it wasn't.

He looked at me with confusion.

"But we're all the way in Wisconsin. How _could _I come here everyday?"

Now I looked at him with confusion.

"Haven't you ever come here through the ghost portal? It's hardly a ten minute trip from my portal to yours." his face slowly turned from confusion to happiness.

"Really?" he smiled.

"Yes, I though you knew." I raised an eyebrow, a half smile on my face. He shook his head.

"So, like, I could come here three times a week with no problem?"

"I'd go with four." I suggested.

Danny grinned.

"Well thats not so bad."

I smiled, glad he was taking it well. He seemed a great deal happier, but I suppose thats because deep down he felt guilty to his family for wanting to stay here.

"I guess I should go home soon anyways. I do miss them."

I was tempted to say 'duh', but thats not a word.

"See? Always listen to me. I know exactly what I'm talking about." I smirked.

"Sure," Danny rolled his eyes with a laugh, "Next thing I know I'll be saying weird things like 'butter biscuits'."

"Better than your bad habit of cussing." I frowned.

"Hey, I haven't cussed in a while." he went to point at me but hit his funny bone on the edge of the table. "Ow, fuck."

"Daniel!"

He laughed.

The rest of the day we were basically attached by the hip, although a more appropriate description would be attached by the lips. I finally finished giving him that swim lesson, although it took much longer than necessary, but that might be because we were both shirtless again and he has such a gorgeous body...

Anyway, by that time it was past dinner, but neither of us were hungry. Instead I led Danny to my room and he showed me how to use my telescope. (I suppose it's rather sad when a person has so much stuff they don't know how to use it all, but I don't particularly care.) It was very educational and a little surprising at how much he knew about the constellations and how passionate he was about astronomy.

"How can you be so good at astronomy and so bad at math?" I muttered.

"All I can do is basic astronomy. I'm no where near good enough for the real stuff." he replied, a bit bitter.

I looked down at the long calculation he'd done in three minutes to determine the position of several different constellations for the next week and blinked. I don't even think _I _could do that. Of course I'd never tell him that for the life of me, but still, this was quite impressive.

He took his eye away from the glass and looked at the sky with a pleased smile.

"Found Mars. You might wanna get a good look now cause it won't be this clear for another five thousand years."

"Really?" I had to say, I was intrigued. But space travel never really interested me, I was always more interested in paranormal studies. The closest I'd gotten to studying space was UFOs, but that hadn't lasted past my teen years.

The small red circle in the telescope didn't look very fantastic from here, but Danny was captivated by it. It was much more interesting to watch him get excited about the different things he found. I made a mental note to purchase a much bigger telescope.

"Ah jeez, it's already ten o'clock and you gotta go to work tomorrow." he winced, glancing at his watch for the first time that evening.

"It's quite alright. This is much more interesting." I smirked, watching as he folded all his notes in a complied notebook a little haphazardly.

"You can set that on my desk and come in here whenever you want to use this thing. Lord knows I never have."

"Dude, how could you not?" he looked astonished. "It's _awesome_."

I placed an arm on his shoulder and led him back into my room, flicking on a passing lamp for a bit of light.

"I personally had more fun watching you." I commented as he set the papers on my desk neatly.

"Please," he rolled his eyes. "You see me all the time. But Mars-"

I kissed him suddenly, quickly turning his words into an incoherent mumbling as he started to melt against me.

"Mars," I whispered in his ear, "Is thousands of light years away. You are about two inches away and need to be closer."

He nodded with a slightly dazed look, throwing his arms around me and clutching me tightly. I pressed my lips to his his again, moving slowly and purposefully. Danny 's breath hitched slightly as I reached a hand up his shirt and traced down his back, his spine bending toward me as my fingers molded him. Deciding that standing was overrated, I took barely two steps and fell on my monstrous bed, taking Danny with me. I dimly noted that this was the first time someone else was in it with me, but I was much more focused on the certain someone to really care.

Danny straddled my hips, kissing passionately as his hands moved like water through my freed hair. I felt his body, wanting to possess it forever. I took his shirt away effortlessly and was surprised when cold air bit my own skin. I pulled away for a moment to see Danny holding my own shirt in one hand with a mischievous smirk on his face. I grinned, pushing him to the mattress and pulling his half naked form against mine, feeling it fit perfectly.

He moaned when I bit his neck, hands scratching my back as teeth scraped skin. One of his legs entangled with mine, toes curling. His hands moved smoothly up my bare chest and I returned to his lips, tracing the crevices inside his mouth and feeling him shiver with pleasure.

Eventually, I reached down lower, with the honest intention of simply getting him into more suitable sleep wear. I swear.

"Vlad, no." he said, sounded as though he'd rather say yes.

"I'm just getting you in your boxers, Danny. Can't sleep in blue jeans can you?"

He thought about it for maybe five seconds and nodded with a smile, letting me continue to unbutton his pants and slip them off fluidly. I could feel his rapid heartbeat when I placed a hand on his chest and I kissed him softly to calm him down.

After removing my own, I threw both pairs of pants to the floor, moving us under the warm comforters and hugging Danny close. Our forms were disturbingly pale against the deep red sheets, but it only made my Danny stand out more. He looked like an angel as he laid in my bed, wrapped in my arms.

He snaked one of his arms under my arm from beneath the covers, gently stroking my back and kissing me lightly. I caressed his perfect visage, the skin smooth and unmarred.

He kissed me one last time and looked into my eyes with a smile, burying his head in my chest and sighing contentedly. I ran my fingers through his dark hair, hugging him closer before I finally drifted off to sleep myself, taking a moment to reflect how wonderful companionship was. Especially in such a large bed.

* * *

Ugh. I suck at romance.


	10. Chapter 10

Okay, these next few chapters are gonna to be super long. I'll try to contain myself.

* * *

Danny PoV

* * *

Morning came earlier than usual. The sky was blue and the sun washed over the large bed lazily. I could hear birds again and the soft blowing of the wind. The bed I was lying in molded to my body, the rest of me in Vlad's protective hug. He was already awake of course, smiling down at me easily as I tried to fully wake my brain. I was perfectly content to remain in this world of warmth, bliss, and Vlad.

Eventually though, I manged to open my eyes fully and give Vlad a lazy smile of my own before pressing back into his chest. We laid there together for a long time, he stroked my hair softly and I closed my eyes, almost falling back to sleep before his voice brought me back to reality.

"I'm supposed to be at the office in an hour." he said gently, kissing my forehead apologetically when I looked up.

"You're Vlad Masters. What are they gonna do? Start without you?" I mumbled, not wanting him to leave.

He laughed.

"True, there's nothing they can really do if I am late, but it just wouldn't be good business."

I sighed, savoring this feeling for the last few seconds I had it.

"It's not like your never going to wake up like this again." he laughed lightly, instantly perking up my mood.

"Alright, alright." I mumbled, rolling over lethargically and sitting up, stretching high to the ceiling.

I caught Vlad eying me hungrily and smirked.

"I thought you had to go to work, Vlad." I teased.

"Not for another hour." he muttered as he reached out and pulled me back to him, wasting no time in reducing me to a pile of goo with those obscenely amazing lips.

XxX

I munched on the last bits of my cereal, sitting in the cozy kitchen from yesterday while Vlad searched through his brief case hurriedly. The window was thrown open, letting the bright morning sun pour in.

We'd spent just a little too much time in the bed, and now Vlad was probably going to be about five minuets late. Oops.

"Ah, here it it." he sighed in relief, holding up a boring looking piece of paper and setting it gently back in the case, shutting it tight.

I down the last of the milk in my bowl and wiped my mouth with a napkin.

"Looks boring." I commented as I put my dishes in the sink.

"Of course it does. It's business."

I changed into my ghost form easily, enjoying the cool rings pass over me like a small breeze. It had been quite a few days since I'd been able to access my ghost form and I kinda missed it. I follow Vlad out the door and into the hall, flying lazily in the air like a piece of paper, my ghostly tail stretching behind me.

When we got to the door Vlad stopped and gave his full attention to me.

"Try not to get into trouble, hmm?" he gave me a look.

"Hey, half the time trouble finds me." I held my hands up defensively.

He grabbed my hands, pulling me down close to him and intertwining our fingers.

"And the other half of the time is spent being a perfectly innocent teenager, yes?" he raised an eyebrow, staring into my eyes with amusement.

"Exactly." I laughed, my ghostly tail gently coiling itself around his body.

He cupped my chin, pulling me in closer for a kiss. I felt the familiar electric pass between us. Smiling slightly, He drew me in closer, pressing my body against his, his other hand resting at the small of my back. I moved my lips against his softly, already playing with that addicting ponytail. I could of stayed there for hours, but his watch beeped urgently. He ignored if for a few more minutes though, enjoying the moment. Finally, he gently pulled away, smiling.

"I'll be home around six." he reminded me.

I nodded, not likely to forget that, and he opened the door. The anticipation of finally seeing my friends and sister almost exploded out of me as the sun poured into the front entrance. I know that I was going to Amity through the ghost zone, but the open air and freed ghost powers proved too much. I flew out into the air at high speeds, flying high and preforming dizzying loops, then letting myself drop like a rock to the earth, laughing at the freedom of it. God, I missed flying.

Just before I crashed to the ground and twisted in the air and flew in a circle around Vlad, who was watching me with amusement.

"Bye Vlad!" I called, diving into the ground as soon as he waved.

I sped through his lab at 112 mph and burst through the open portal, not pausing a second as I made my way back home through the sea of green.

_Home..._

I smiled and flew faster, following Vlad's directions perfectly. Th original plan was for him to lead me to my families portal, but we ran short on time and I insisted on directions. I could handle it.

In no time at all I saw the familiar Fenton portal ahead, just as Vlad said. I forced myself to slow down, breathing heavily as I peered into the swirling circle, knowing my family was on the other side. A twist in my stomach marred my happiness slightly when I remembered they were all miserable and probably searching desperately for me.

Just one more week mom and dad, and then I'll be home. But a sudden thought struck me. Was I being selfish by staying with Vlad for another week? I shook off the thought, deciding to worry about it later. At least I could make Sam, Tucker, and Jazz happy. After all, it was just a small week. Taking a deep breath, I plunged invisibly through the portal, entering an immaculate and very empty lab.

"Wow..." I breathed, dropping my invisibility. "They must be pretty upset if the lab is clean _and _empty."

Frowning and feeling guilty, I cloaked myself once more and phased up through the ceiling, closing my eyes and pretending to hear the usual loud booms and yells in my house. I tried to ignore the utter silence that met me.

My guilt worsened, but I knew I'd be home soon so I did my best to shake it off. One more week wouldn't kill them. Thinking of Sam and Tucker, I flew forward, feeling my excitement slowly return as I neared Tuckers house. It was about 9:00 in the morning and I know for a fact that Tucker won't wake up on his own during weekends until at least noon.

This was gonna be fun.

I silently slipped into his room, hovering invisibly over his drooling, sleeping self. He was muttering in his sleep as usual and I couldn't help but grin widely at him, so happy to see him. It was then that I realized how much I missed everyone here.

Shaking off the sudden bout of emotion, I returned to the task of waking Tucker eagerly. I took a deep deep breath...

"TUCKER!" I yelled at the top of my lungs, knowing his parents slept as soundly as he does and would never hear me from their room downstairs.

"WHA!" he screamed, jumping five feet in the air and falling of the bed with a thump.

I couldn't help but crack up laughing. The look on his face was priceless! I rolled in the air, clutching my stomach and becoming visible as he dragged himself back up to the bed, a scowl of irritation on his face.

"What the heck was that for Danny!" he glared as my laughed slowly died and I stared at him with a grin, waiting.

His glared suddenly turned to one of abrupt shock and he stared at me as though seeing me for the first time.

"DANNY!"

I was clobbered in a hug and thrown to the floor as Tucker squeezed the life out of me, a million and five questions pouring out of his mouth.

"Dude, how did you escape? Does Vlad know your gone? Are you hurt? What did he do to you up there?"

"Tucker!" I yelled exasperatedly from the ground, halting his questions as he sheepishly got up.

"Sorry." he grinned.

"Call Sam and Jazz and I'll explain everything. I don't wanna say it three times."

"Wait, why don't you just go straight to your family?" he asked, his face of smiles turning to one of suspicion.

"I'll explain when Sam and Jazz get here, just make sure Jazz doesn't tell my parents I'm back." I said, not saying a thing till they were all here.

Tucker watched me for a moment more but relented, his shoulders sagging with a sigh.

"Alright." he said, picking up something square with about ten thousand buttons on it. He pressed one randomly and I heard it ringing.

"Hey Sam, it's me Tucker."

I heard the sound of growling on he other line and Tucker balanced. I snickered as I floated up and sat on his bed. Tucker cast a playful glare at me, obviously blaming me for Sam's grumpy mood.

"Sam, Danny's here." He said simply, cutting off her ranting.

"WHAT!"

Wow, Tuck must be deaf now. I winced, his arm practicality throwing the phone across the room at Sam's loud exclamation.

"Jeez Sam, that was my ear." he mumbled, rubbing it with his finger.

I heard some quieter, but just as frantic sounds.

"No he's here. Come over and he says he'll tell us whats up. Call Jazz will ya? But make sure she doesn't let Danny's parents know he's back."

Sam's voice sounded suspicious, but I couldn't make out what she was saying.

"He won't tell me. Just get over here with Jazz quick."

He hung up the phone with a beep and turned to look at me, mouthing the word "wow."

"Chickened out at calling Jazz?" I smirked.

"Dude. You live with your sister. You know how much she would freak." He jumped onto the bed, sitting across from me.

"True, true." I reflected fondly, smiling.

Tucker watched me suspiciously.

"You don't look hurt." He said slowly.

"Cause I'm not." I rolled my eyes, but he continued to look suspicious, "Seriously, Tuck, I'm fine."

"Uh-huh. Do you want anything to eat? He hasn't been starving you, has he?"

"Funny story about that, actually,-"

Tucker's eyes were beginning to widen in shock, misunderstanding me. But the sudden slam of the front door downstairs made us both jump.

"Did they fly here? You just hung up with them two minuets ago!" I exclaimed, not prepared as they burst into his room.

"DANNY!" they screamed, throwing themselves at me and causing us to crash to the floor.

"I can't believe you're here! Mom and dad have been so worried about you! How did you escape? Did Vlad hurt you?"

"We went to his mansion but we didn't get a chance to find you. He totally had us pinned right when we walked in the door! You did kick his butt, right? Cause I swear I'm gonna go back there and-"

"GUYS! Guys! Clam down, I'm fine! Let me explain!" I gasped from the floor, drowning in female. Vlad was much more comfy.

Hastily, they stood up, looking not a bit embarrassed. I gasped when I could breathe again and they helped me stand. Clambering back to the bed, I sat down on it and took a deep breath.

They started pelting me with questions again and I forced my resolve to harden. I know I was going to lie to them, but it was for the best. They...they wouldn't understand me and Vlad. They'd think I'm crazy or brainwashed or something and they'd blame Vlad. It may be lies I tell them, but it's for the best. At least for right now. Maybe when we're all much much older I'll tell them the truth. Maybe.

"Hello? Earth to Danny?" Sam snapped, her fingers jolting me out of my thoughts.

"What? Oh, right! So um...what'd you guys wanna know?" I shrugged.

"How did you escape?" Sam breathed, apparently having asked that three times now.

"I didn't. Vlad let me go." I said lightly. They all looked half retarded for a moment as they gapped openly.

"What!?" the loud shout was in unison, making me cringe.

"Vlad...let me go." I shrugged, launching into an better explanation at their questioning stares.

"I'll start from the beginning," I sat up straighter and they all crowded into Tuckers small bed. I found myself feeling like one of those storytellers you see in second grade. I had a second more to reflect that we would all fit much better on Vlad's bed before I began.

"So Vlad busts in at two in the morning over a week ago, hits me in the head, and drags me off to his mansion in Wisconsin. Naturally, when I woke up in a luxurious room, I realized what had happened and pitched a fit, totally obliterating the room."

"Nice." Tucker grinned.

"Did you have your ghost powers?" Sam asked inquiringly.

"At first, yeah. Vlad just set up a ghost/human shield around my room, so I could still use my powers and stuff. I just couldn't leave that room. Later he let me out around the castle, but some weird bracelet thing repressed my powers." Shrugging nonchalantly, I continued.

"Anyways, Vlad wasn't too pleased with the destroyed room. He told me to clean it and disappeared for five days."

"Wait, huh?" Tucker looked confused.

"He just told you to clean it? No threats? And then he left you alone for five days?" Jazz looked dumbfounded.

"Pretty much." I nodded. "I was still pissed beyond belief so, of course, I didn't clean it. Some servant ghost kept sending up all these five star meals but I didn't eat any of that either."

"So, what did you eat?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Nothing." I winced.

"Nothing!?" Sam looked shocked.

"Dude. It's Vlad's job to starve you, not yourself."

"Hey, I was worried it was poisoned or something. Give me a break." I said defensively.

"So what happened next?" Jazz asked eagerly.

"Well, when Vlad came back and found out that I hadn't been eating he was _really _pissed. More than he was when I destroyed my room." I said.

"Your room?" Sam looked confused.

"I-I mean my room in his house, the one I used, his room, but my room." I was so horrible at covering up that stupid slip. Already Sam was looking at me kinda funny. My friends and sister were always so touchy about Vlad. I had to watch how I said things or they'd take it suspiciously.

"He was angrier when you didn't eat? Not when you destroyed his stuff?" Jazz looked confused too.

"Yeah." I replied slowly, wondering what kind of psychology was behind that.

"That means he cares more about your well being than his material items. I'm not sure thats a good thing though..." she dropped off in thought.

Oh yeah Jazz, it's a very good thing. Trust me.

"Yep. It's weird alright. But Vlad's a fruitloop, so what can you expect?" I brushed it off and continued on with my story.

"After that he made me eat on the deal that I got to call you, Sam." I would _never _tell them that Vlad fed me. I nodded to her and they all nodded back. Apparently Sam had told them of our call. "And the next day we hung out and-"

"Whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa! Back up dude. You 'hung out' with Vlad?" Tucker looked appalled.

"Yeah." I said nonchalantly.

They stared at me in shock, not saying anything. I took this as I could go on and I did, although a little hesitantly.

"Turns out Vlad can cook. He made us breakfast in this awesome outside kitchen thing and we just talked. It was...different."

Jazz made an odd sound between a hysterical laugh and a choke.

"He taught me how to swim too." I threw in.

"He taught you how to swim?" Sam's mouth dropped.

"Yeah, he's a pretty good teacher." and here is where I should have shut up, but stupid me got wrapped up in trying to show them Vlad's nicer colors. I probably sounded like a love struck teen (which I was, but they didn't have to know that). However, they wouldn't guess love, they'd think I was brainwashed. Very very brainwashed.

"I mean, he's really not such a bad guy once you get to know him. He's actually really relateable, being the only other half ghost and stuff. It wasn't that difficult to strike up a conversation. He got lost in his own mansion once, had to buy a map for the place." I laughed, "And did you know he likes slasher flicks? I know it's totally morbid, but it fits him perfectly. We watched Dead Teacher VIII together.-Don't pay to see it when it comes out, it's like all the other ones.- Oh my gosh, I can't believe I almost forgot! He plays violin guys, and he's awesome at it! He's got, like, three of 'em. And-what?"

I finally noticed their expressions. It was a mixture between horror, shock, and slight queasiness.

"Dude." Tucker said weakly, "What are you, in love?"

Oh, you have no idea.

I tried to force down the blush that flared across my face, but failed miserably. Instead I glared at Tucker and stubbornly replied "No."

"He brainwashed you." Sam said painfully, looking miserable.

"What? No he didn't!" I groaned exasperatedly, "I was afraid you guys would think that. He hasn't done anything, I swear!"

"Danny, were you even hearing yourself?" Sam asked quietly, looking at me as though I was a dead person. Well...completely dead person.

"Yes, I was." I closed my eyes and pressed my fingers to my temples. "Look, I just had some time to actually talk with Vlad instead of fight, and once you get past the bitter lonely fruitloop part, he's just a normal person like you and me." I said with a sense of finality.

"Except he's half ghost." Tucker displayed his knack for talking without thinking, his tone sounding as though this was a fault.

"I'm half ghost." I spat out, looking angrily at him. Tucker cringed, realizing his mistake. Jazz was watching me strangely.

"I'm not brainwashed, okay?" I said sternly, waiting till they all nodded yes hesitantly. Then I dropped the bomb.

"But I'm going back."

There was silence. Dead, thick silence. Then the house exploded.

"YOUR WHAT!"

How Tucker's parents slept through the din I'll never know. They all three started screaming things at once. I caught the word 'brainwashed' several times again, along with 'crazy' and 'no'. I heard a lot about my family missing me too.

"Guys." I said at a normal voice, staring at the wall behind them. They either didn't hear me or ignored me.

"GUYS!" I roared, my voice echoing like a thunderous god. Side effect of the ghostly wail. I can scream really loud.

They all immediately fell silent, looking at me in awe. I took a deep breath.

"I..." and here's where the lying begins. I felt miserable doing it, but it had to be done. "I'm going back for a week and then I'll come home. I think...I can change Vlad. He'd already a lot different, at least he is to me. I think if I try a bit longer, he won't be so crazy about revenge. I'm not saying I'm gonna pull some saint crap, but I think I can help him be less of a fruitloop, ya' know? Another week won't kill mom and dad, and it'll help in the long run, I know it will. Just give me a chance." God, I'm so damn selfish.

They stared at me, concerned and deep in their own thoughts.

"You do know the saying, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, right?" Sam said hesitantly.

"This is different Sam."

"If...if you really think you can make a difference dude, I guess it's your choice. You just better come back in a week. No evil apprentice stuff." Tucker warned.

"I promise." I smiled weakly, glad for his support.

Jazz continued to stare at me. I could tell she was thinking something big and that worried me.

"Your getting very attached to him, Danny."

I froze up in fear for a second, like when mom or dad has a ghost invention around me and it goes off. Sam and Tucker looked at me as though seeing me in a new light. I squirmed uncomfortably.

"I'm just helping out where I can. If this makes him try to kill dad less then I don't see a problem with it." I said, sounding resolved.

She nodded slowly, looking concerned.

"Only if you talk to us every night." she said.

"What, call you?" but what if I was busy with Vlad?

"I don't care how, just get in touch with one of us every night, just so we know your okay." she shook a finger at me. Sam and Tucker nodded in hasty agreement.

"Alright, alright. I'll borrow a laptop and IM Tucker or something. It's easier."

There was a silence between us. My friends and sister looked wrapped up in their thoughts, their expressions down.

"Anyways..." I dragged the attention to a different subject, "There _is_ a really big problem living with Vlad."

"What?" Tucker and Sam asked eagerly, looking for me to finally say something bad about the guy.

I transformed into my human half, letting the chilly rings pass over me like water, calling back my black hair and blue eyes. As my appearance completed, Sam and Tucker gasped in disgust and shock.

"The man worships church clothes." I said, deadpanned.

"Dude." Tucker sympathized weakly, looking sadly at the black dress pants, belt, and long-sleeved, button up blouse. I had the top two buttons undone, giving me some air.

"Yep. Finally ran out of pajamas." I said woefully, looking down at my outfit as though it were a tragedy, which it totally was.

"Ouch." Sam snickered.

"You look like a mini-Vlad." Jazz commented.

"Hilarious." My tone flat.

"You know he hates it when I cuss?" I suddenly remembered, thankful for the convenient distraction. I didn't need Sam or Tucker pondering Jazz's comment.

"Really? You'd think a baddie like him wouldn't care to hear a few cuss words." Sam looked thoughtful.

"Well he does use baked goods to express his anger." Tucker reasoned.

"True."

"What does he do when you cuss?" Jazz asked innocently.

"He gets mad. So I cuss more." I smirked darkly, earning laughs from Sam and Tucker. Jazz smiled a little, but then her smile dropped, her eyes cast downward with an expression of subdued horror and disbelief. I felt apprehensive suddenly.

"Danny what's that on your neck?" she asked as innocently as she could, her strained voice cracking slightly.

My stomach flopped, sending waves of horror throughout my body. The scene with Vlad erotically biting my neck all last night slammed into me, full force, and I froze up.

"Uh..."

"It...it looks like a-"

"Cat bite!" I yelled wildly, hastily buttoning up my shirt, hoping to god that would be enough to cover the hickey. Or was it hickeys?

"Vlad's got a new cat!" I grinned, sounding way too strained in my ears.

But Sam and Tucker's looks of suspicion quickly evaporated at the news and they started rolling with laughter. Jazz, unfortunately, still stared at me, her horror melting into an expressionless mask.

"Yeah," I giggled a little hysterically, but no one noticed. Relief washed through me. "He got a white one and named it Maddie." I made a face.

"Ew! Seriously!" Sam rolled.

"Yup." I waited till their laughter subsided a bit, trying to decide weather Jazz's expressionless face was a good thing or a bad thing.

"So, you guys wanna go blow a bunch of Vlad's money at the mall?"I asked, digging into my pocket and pulling out a wad of hundreds.

They all (even Jazz) stared at the money in shock, a look of elation coming to their faces.

"Vlad gave you all that money!" Tucker sounded about ready to pee his pants.

"Well..." I smirked slyly. "He gave me access to his house and you wouldn't believe how much cash he's got hidden in random little places. Soooo I guess he sorta gave it to me." I threw it in the air and caught it.

"Alright Robin Hood! Way to steal from the rich and give to the poor!" Sam punched the air.

"I didn't steal it." I said hastily.

"Yeah, and I hate technology." Tucker rolled his eyes and then stopped, "Ugh, I have a bad taste in my mouth now. Hold on while I go brush my teeth."

We all laughed and Tucker ambled out of the room, scraping his tongue. I jumped off the bed and stood with my hand on my hips.

"Well, Vlad gets home by six. Wanna go kill time at the mall?"

We spent about six hours at the mall, buying tons of things none of us needed and causing usual teen trouble. The first thing I did was buy a new outfit. It was still a little fancy from my usual t-shirt and jeans, but those weren't an option right now. I caught Jazz staring at me again when I came out wearing a black and green stripped scarf covering my neck, but I just told them it went with the black jacket.

Tucker spent almost two hours in the tech store, so Jazz, Sam, and I left to check out the music department. Dumpty Humptys' new CD was out and I bought it, along with a CD full of violin solos. I wonder if Vlad could play any of these?

Just as we caught back up with Tucker, Jazz got lost in a book store. We decided to retrieve her from the great beyond at lunch. We were passing the shoe department when we spied a new store that was just recently in. One that made all of us drop our jaws.

The words "Danny Phantom's Ghostly Goods" flashed in bright green. The inside of the store was black, lit up by ghost shaped white lights. We all three automatically walked in. It was like the twilight zone for me. I saw my ghost face everywhere, in battle stance, waving, smiling, shooting, and on one embarrassing postcard, in my boxers.

"Hey Danny, Maybe you could give one of these to Skulker and he can hang this on his wall." Tucker laughed, throwing a life sized Danny Phantom doll at me, knocking me to the floor.

"Tucker!"

Sam laughed.

"This place is too weird."

"I agree Danny. Who would want your mug on a shirt? _My _face however..."

"That's not a bad idea Tucker," Sam started, Tuckers face lighting up in surprise for a moment, "If Danny wore your face on his shirt during ghost fights, maybe the ghosts would stop coming to Amity out of disgust."

"Oh ha ha." Tucker frowned.

I picked up a plain black shirt with the design Sam had made for my suit brightly embellished in the front. Silver rings lined the edges of the shirt like the red lines of my old t-shirt.

"Hey Sam, your DP design is famous." I commented lightly, showing her the shirt.

"Shame no one knows it was me." She said in a voice that plainly stated she didn't care.

"Tucker and I know." I pointed out, and she smiled lightly.

"You should get it."

"Huh?" I looked back her in confusion as I started to place it back on the rack.

"Come on, it's only 15 bucks. Think of how ironic it would be for you to wear it." she laughed. "We'd totally have an awesome private joke."

I fingered the wad up twenties in my hand and shrugged. If I was gonna blow Vlad's money I might as well do it throughly.

"Alright." I gave in, quickly paying for it and then rushing to a bathroom to put it on at Sam's insistence.

It was a little tight, the stretchy material clinging to my chest, but I didn't mind. It matched the scarf and jacket perfectly though. I thought I looked pretty good, all things considered.

"Your parents will kill you if they ever see you wearing that." Tucker grinned.

"I know. I'm thinking about getting them some for Christmas."

They laughed.

We wandered all across the mall, passing shops and tons of people. At first I was worried someone would notice me, but the crowds were so big that people weren't really paying attention. Once guy looked like he recognized me, but I simply lost myself in the crowd and turned invisible before he could say anything. He wandered off, muttering about seeing things.

A little past noon we extracted Jazz from the bookstore. She hadn't even noticed we left. She did notice my new shirt though. Of course, we had to tell her about the new store downstairs, and once she saw it she was in a fit of giggles.

"I can't believe you have your own store." she shook her head.

"Yeah. I just feel bad for the guy's business when everybody starts hating me again." I sighed. The citizens of Amity Park are so bi polar.

"Well, maybe they won't." Jazz said half heartedly.

"Right. You keep thinking that." I rolled my eyes.

The food court presented us with a very large selection of different eateries. Sam promptly made her way to Vegetarian Quizine once we all agreed to meet at a table under a group of plants. The line at Vegetarian Quizine was very small. Tucker ran head long for The Carnivores Niche, his mouth already drooling. Me and Jazz decided to stand in the relatively small line of Clubway together, something I should have avoided.

"So, Danny," Her voice sounded too carefree. "What do you do at Vlad's"

My defenses shot up, leaving me with a nervous tingle in my brain.

"Oh, you know." I shrugged, equally too carefree. "Annoy the crap out of each other. The usual."

"Hmm." she nodded, not quite believing me.

"When did he get a cat?"

"Uh...a while ago. I let cujo out of his ghost portal and he found her hiding under a fancy couch. They fought and I tried to pull the cat away before cujo turned her into a ghost cat. And uh...the cat bit me." I had to admit, the lie wasn't half bad. Shame I'm such a crappy liar though.

But Jazz seemed to take it, although still looking a tad suspicious.

"And Vlad let you come here, right? Does he know your coming back?"

"Yep."

"He trusts you?"

This felt like a trick question. You know, the kind chicks ask when they have a double meaning in it.

"Uh...yes?"

By the look on her face, that was _not _what she wanted to hear.

"Next!" A grumpy woman behind the counter glared at us. I quickly thanked any higher power for the save and ran up to the counter.

Jazz continued to give me various looks. Once she'd be suspicious, then she'd be disbelieving, then she'd switch to contemplative, and back to suspicious. It was starting to get ridiculous, and my annoyance overred my worry.

"Jazz, I don't know what your thinking about, but I'll bet that it's wrong. I'm just staying at Vlad's to try and turn him into less of a fruitloop. Don't you think a little trust is needed to accomplish that? There's no weird evil brainwashing thing going on, I swear. I'm perfectly okay."

She was hesitant, but looked like she was starting to relent her suspicions.

"Come on Jazz. Trust me." I looked at her imploringly and she sighed as she gave in.

"Alright little brother. I trust you. I know you won't get yourself into anything you can't handle." she smiled, looking relieved, and placing a hand on my shoulder.

I walked over to Sam and Tucker, never seeing her bite her lip in nervous concern.

After lunch we headed roamed the mall a bit more, enjoying the time we had together. Jazz seemed fine, much to my happiness, and the rest of the day passed without incident. Only one other thing happened as we made our way back to Tuckers house that evening. I got smacked in the face by a flier with my face on it, a reward and desperate "Have you seen this boy?" in bright red at the top. My guilt festered and I stuck the flier in the trash, not saying a word to Sam, Tucker, or Jazz.

"Man, what a day." Tucker collapsed onto his bed, dropping his many bags of newly acquired items on the floor.

I floated the rest of the way through the floor, turning back into my human self. It was much easier to avoid parental detection as a ghost.

"Your telling me." Sam relaxed in Tuck's computer chair, sighing.

I looked out the window at the setting sun, the clock beeped six.

"It's late. I should head back to Vlad's." I announced. They gave me mournful stares and tried to convince me to stay for about the millionth time that day.

"But it's starting to get dark. Maybe you should stay here for the night and head to Wisconsin tomorrow."

"Yeah, it's a long flight to Vlad's mansion. Aren't you tired?" Sam implored.

"I can get to Vlad's in ten minutes." I said, a little apologetic as I transformed back into my ghost half.

Their faces sunk but Jazz looked confused.

"How?"

"The portal. His entrance is about ten minutes from ours." I shrugged.

"I didn't know..." she trailed off, thinking again.

It was six o' five.

"I gotta go guys." I rose into the air, my ghostly tail melting into existence.

They sighed heavily, and I felt like crap for leaving them. After many hugs and "be careful"'s and "don't turn evil"'s, I floated out of the house, speeding towards the Fenton portal.

I didn't slow down as I flew through the house, noticing the RV parked in the next lot and not wanting to see my depressed parents. Their ghost equipment barely detected me as I shot into the lab and dove into the portal, pretending I hadn't seen my mom and dad hugging each other tightly, bags under their red eyes. I pushed the guilt away.

Just one week.

I increased my speed, suddenly wanting to be in Vlad's waiting arms. It had been a long day. Ghouls and ghosts zipped by, along with many purple doors. I was a stream of lightening, turning sharply and dodging annoying attacks that occasionally came from ghosts I didn't recognize, most likely protecting their territory.

Finally, Vlad's portal came into view. I couldn't help but smirk at the large football covering it, pushing it aside hastily and flying in. I was greeted by a very dark Lab so I flew up through the floor, wandering the halls for all of two seconds before Vlad's hand reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me out of the air and into him.

"Your late." he smirked.

"Only a little." I argued.

"Hm. Too much." he kissed me gently and I wrapped my arms around him, a smile playing on my lips.

We broke apart and I felt to the ground as I transformed, landing smoothly on my feet. Vlad raised an eye brow at my attire and that quickly reminded me.

"You are in so much trouble." I frowned, poking a finger at his chest.

"Me? What did I do?" he asked, surprised at my sudden change of mood.

I glared sourly as I pulled the black and green stripped scarf away, revealing two very prominent love bites. Vlad blinked and then roared with laughter.

"It's not funny!" I yelled, a smile tugging at my lips. I loved his laugh.

"Of course it is!" Vlad gasped, leaning against the wall for support and still cracking up.

"What did you do?" he grinned, wiping a tear away.

"I told them your cat did it." I smirked evilly. Ha. Payback.

He scowled.

"Touche."

He looked down at my shirt, eying it appraisingly. Although I have a feeling he was staring at the tight fit of the shirt, not quite the shirt itself.

"Nice shirt."

"There's a new store in the mall dedicated to my ghost half. It's ridiculous. Sam convinced me to buy it cause she's into irony."

"Well then she'd love us." he muttered, "And what is the owner of that store going to do when Amity decides to hate you again?"

"I dunno. Probably go out of business." I shrugged, not really caring. I totally didn't give that owner permission to my rights and he was ripping money off me. Granted, if I had given permission my secret wouldn't be so secret any more, but whatever. Oh, and speaking of money.

"By the way..." I tapped my fingertips together, looking at the wall. Vlad's eyes narrowed.

"What?" he asked, the whole what-did-you-do question in his tone.

"Uh, well I kinda borrowed some money from your vase upstairs." I half winced, half grinned, shrugging.

He stared at me, expressionless. Was he angry?

"Uh...here's what's left." I dropped three dimes and two pennies in his hand.

He stared at it.

"You spent 2,000 dollars in one day?" he asked flatly. My eyes widened in shock.

"Two thousand dollars!" I yelped, gapping.

"You didn't even count it?" he looked at me dumbfounded.

"Well that was a lot of twenties and I'm not that good at math..."

"Daniel!"

"Whaaaat?"

He put his fingers to his forehead, shaking his head with a chuckle.

"I can't believe you didn't even count it..." He laughed, turning and walking toward the stairs. I ran after him.

"So...are you mad?" I asked hesitantly.

"Mad? Of course not. 2,000 dollars is pocket change my dear boy. I'm just a little surprised you took it without asking." he looked down at me with a smug grin. "I'm so proud of you."

"I didn't steal it!" I said hotly.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Danny."

I scowled and trailed after him. We entered the smaller kitchen, the darkness outside shielded by the bright curtains. I guess Vlad wasn't in the mood to cook because he sat down at the table and motioned for me to do the same. The same ghost from before phased through the door, the one that totally ignored me when I was strapped like a prisoner to a chair after my starvation episode.

She looked horrendously bored, placing the plates before us without a care. Vlad and I both said thank you at the same time though, and that made her snap her head in out direction, surprise on her wrinkly face. Before I could comment she floated back through the door. Shrugging, I turned to my food.

"What did your friends and sister say?" Vlad asked gently.

Oh, I'd forgotten about that.

"Well, they weren't really happy about me coming back. In fact, they were horrified. But I managed to convince them I wasn't brainwashed and so they won't come barging through the door, as long as I IM them every night."

"IM?"

"Jeez, Vlad, your so old." I rolled my eyes and Vlad flicked me in the head. "Instant Messaging. It's basically chatting over the Internet. You've got accounts to keep track of all the people in your address book and stuff."

"That sounds like a telephone." he blinked, confused.

"It kinda is, just with typing."

"Then why don't you just call them? It sounds much easier."

"No way. IM-ing is totally easier."

We stared at each other, neither willing to relent. After about three straight minutes of the stalemate we agreed to disagree, placing this under the things-I-don't-understand-about-fruitloops/young people category.

"Do you have a laptop I can use?" I asked.

"I have several."

"Awesome."

We ate our food in silence for a while, utensils clinking. Eventually I worked up the nerve to tell him about something that could be potentially disastrous. I set my fork down softly, suddenly loosing my appetite.

"I think Jazz knows." I said quietly, out of the blue.

Vlad choked on his drink, quickly covering his mouth with a napkin, looking down at me in budding horror.

"She's the one who caught this-" I pointed to the love bite "-and even though I managed to pass it off as a cat, she acted really suspicious all day." I stared at the wall ahead of me.

Vlad was silent, watching me.

"I think she's more...refusing to believe it, ya' know? All she has are suspicions so I don't think she really believes it. I got her to drop it at lunch, but I don't know if it worked or not though." My voice started to strain, visions of Jazz finding out and never letting me see Vlad again making my heart clench. I wouldn't let her.

Vlad slowly stood from his chair, dinner forgotten.

"I'm so sorry." I shook my head, still staring at the wall. "If she finds out it'll be all my fault and I'll never be able to come here again and-"

"Shhh." Vlad whispered gently, his hands sliding over my shoulder and hugging me firmly.

I took a deep breath, inhaling his unique scent.

"She's just suspicious, she won't find out. Jasmine is always suspicious," I could hear the eye-roll in his voice, "And this is probably such a radical idea to her that she won't consider it true till it's proven right in front of her face, like that's going to happen." I nodded mutely. "And even if by some crazy chance she does find out, it won't be your fault." he nipped at my neck lightly, making me flinch toward him. "I'm the one who bit you." he was smirking proudly.

I felt myself turn intangible and he pulled me through the chair, pressing my back up against him.

"You need to relax, Danny." he whispered, hands trailing over my chest and face, lips touching my skin.

"Yeah..." I mumbled, leaning into him.

"Do you trust me?" he asked.

I turned around and kissed him full on the lips, my smaller hands trailing up his face and brushing his ear. His hands jumped to my waist, pulling me closer.

"Does that answer your question?" I asked, smiling and raising an eyebrow up at him.

Vlad grinned, transforming into Plasmius at the same time I changed to Phantom. I'm not quite sure how we managed to get to Vlad's room with our lips locked, but we did. I expected Vlad to drop us onto his soft mattress, but was surprised when we landed in his grandiose bathroom, the thick red rug under my bare feet tickling.

"Vlad?" I asked, breaking away slightly.

"Shh." He put a finger to my lips, changing back to human and I followed suit.

The scarf snaked off and he dropped it to the floor. Pulling me closer, he returned his lips to mine, gently slipping off the black jacket. It landed on the floor with a quiet thump. His fingers danced tantalizingly up my shirt, feeling the skin. He removed the shirt the old fashioned way this time, slipping it over my head. It wasn't that hard to guess Vlad's intentions when he turned the water to the massive jacuzzi on, frothy bubbles and pristine water tumbling out of the four spouts. I felt my heart rate accelerate, but said nothing, trusting Vlad.

He looked at me a little hesitantly for a second, but then started to unbutton his jacket. After a pause, my pale fingers met his and I finished the job, pulling the jacket off and starting on the vest underneath, a blush spreading across my face.

"Do you have to wear so many friggin layers?" I mumbled, beginning on the blouse.

He smirked, pulling it through him intangibly. I smiled up at him.

"See why T-shirts are so much better?"

"Nonsense." Vlad scoffed, his hands traveling smoothly up my bare back and pulling me closer. My heart rate accelerated rapidly when he stared unbuttoning my pants slowly, testing to make sure I was okay with this.

The zipper echoed over the gushing water in my ears and my nerves danced when he dipped his fingers past the hem line, tugging the pants down a bit. I didn't protest and Vlad wasted no time in phasing them completely through me. I forgot about them as they dropped to the floor, my face absolutely flaming and heart pumping while Vlad easily phased his own pants through him, leaving us both nude and barely an inch from each other.

I think I was shaking a bit, cause Vlad's gentle guiding hand held my arms reassuringly and we slipped into the pool, hot steaming water covering us up to our wastes. Pink, aroma filled bubbles were pilled high, looking like small mountains in some places. Vlad took my hand and led me to one end of the jacuzzi, sitting down on a bench and beckoning me to sit on his lap. Hesitantly, I complied, all my heightened scenes exploding when I felt his hard member beneath me, the feel of our nude bodies together making a sudden wave of desire wash over me.

Vlad placed his hands on my shoulders, slowly staring to kneed and massage the tense muscles. His fingers dug in all the right spots, making me gasp in surprise, relaxation seeping through me. It felt so good; I scooted farther back in his lap, my legs wrapping around his in the water as his fingers rolled every knot out of my back, from top to bottom. Eventually the movement turned smoother and sneakily slipped to my chest. Vlad leaned me against him, the steam of the hot water and massage making me tired.

I stretched like a cat, arching my back against him and inadvertently pushing against his sensitive spot. He tensed very slightly and his hands tightened.

"Your teasing me Daniel." He groaned, hands under the water struggling to remain above my navel. I grinned.

I don't know what caused it. Maybe it was the thrill of breaking some code to society or maybe it was the overpowering waves of desire that hit me each time Vlad's hands went just a _little _lower. I felt liberated again, ready to do anything to my hearts content with him. I wanted to tease him, to push him over the edge. I wanted him to go lower and not stop. The feel of our nude bodies was electrifying, making me crave more. To hell with logic.

"Am I?" I grinned cattily, seeing Vlad raise an eyebrow for a moment and then grin back.

"Yes, and it's quite rude." his tongue trailed up my neck, teeth biting down and sudden fangs almost breaking flesh.

I gasped, arching my back again and pressing into Vlad again. He groaned heavily, the hands on my chest grasping as he pushed back slightly. I took a sharp intake of breathe, feeling my arousal harden further. His hands started sinking lower and lower, and with a rush of fire I knew he wasn't going to stop this time. I fell against him, gasping when his fingertips lightly brushed my most sensitive area, making me flinch.

"Teasing's...rude." I gasped as he just barely began feathering his fingers up and down my arousal.

"It it now?" he whispered hotly in my ear.

I moaned when he took me fully into his hand, slowly pumping up and down. My hands gripped his waist behind me and I gasped for breathe, my heart pumping madly. His masterful ministrations smoothly and fluidly turned me into a pile of goo, my eyes lidding as lust began taking over like a hot fog in my head.

"Does it feel good, Daniel?" he whispered a little dangerously.

I nodded immediately, squirming when his grip tightened gently, going up and down. His free hand tipped my heavily breathing face back and he overtook my lips, his pace quickened. My hips started to automatically move against his hand as the fire increased..

I squirmed against him again, my legs twisting around his. The feel of flesh on flesh everywhere, so inmate, was overpowering.

"Vlad..." I gasped through the kiss, my stomach tightening and his hand ever increasing pace.

God, it felt amazing! I couldn't contain myself, groaning as release finally came and I arched my back against Vlad, hands tightening on his hips. Vlad grinned and emitted the sexiest laugh I've ever heard. I wanted more!

Trembling from the rush, and managed to twist myself around, wasting no time in pressing our heavy arousals together and eliciting a moan from both Vlad and myself. His hands possessed my hips strongly, grinding me against him. My arms gripped his back, nails digging into flesh. Vlad sucked on my neck and I pressed myself against him harder, moaning.

I wasn't really aware of my actions, only the intense ecstasy roaring through my veins. My hands gripped his loose hair slightly and then my nails dragged down Vlad's chest, his groan as my fingertips ran over his hard arousal waking something animalistic within me. I grinned, relishing the sound of his voice. I was just about ready to really hear him make some noise, when he suddenly stopped me, gripping my wrist tightly and not letting me move my hand.

I raised an eyebrow, my fuzzy brain not cooperating very well. What was he doing?

"Daniel stop." he groaned, sounding like he wanted to kick himself.

"Why?" I whispered with a tantalizingly smile, reaching my restrained fingers to brush his hardened member. He tensed and took a sharp intake of breath, moving my hand up and out of reach.

"Because if you don't stop now I'm not going to later and I don't think your ready for that." he said quickly, obviously not wanting to say that.

But voicing his thoughts seemed to have hardened his resolve, much to my disappointment. He took a deep breath, sitting up straight and placing his hands on my hips with a sense of finality. The fog in my head slowly started to clear as I realized he was sticking with his choice, the haze remaining for a last few seconds to blurt out, "Yes I am."

Vlad chuckled weakly, pulling me just a bit closer.

"You tell me that when your head is clear and I promise, I won't hesitate."

I blinked, probably smiling like an idiot as the thought of how very attractive he is ran through my head. Vlad smirked tiredly, ruffling my slightly moist hair. After a moment he gently leaned me against his chest, himself leaning back against the edge of the jacuzzi.

I sighed quietly, a very content smile sitting on my face. His muscled chest was warm and the water lightly kissed our skin. We sat in silence for a very long time, savoring the peaceful moment. Steam floated in the air above us and time stretched on, unmeasured. Vlad traced lazy designs in my back, eventually moving to simply rub my wet skin up and down, up and down. It was like the perfect metronome, gently lulling me into a blissful state akin to sleep.

"Danny?" his voice cut through the daze, making my lidded eyes flicker as I slowly came back to awareness.

"Hmm?" I replied, not moving from the complete comfort that was Vlad.

Unfortunately, he had other plans, and those plans became openly known when he suddenly lifted me clean out of the water, making me squeak embarrassingly as the cold air bit my skin. He laughed slightly, moving out of the water and onto that deep red carpet.

Water dripped, slipping off our bodies constantly. I lost my balance slightly as my feet touched the red fuzz. Vlad immediately caught me, a matching towel already in his hand.

"My bad." I mumbled, shaking my head in an attempt to clear it.

Vlad said nothing, smiling softly, and ran the soft towel over my body, completely drying me off. A slight blush rose when he went over my more private parts, but I restrained myself. A large yawn unexpectedly came over me once the towel left and I wished for nothing but the soft confines of a bed. Preferably Vlad's.

Once he finished drying his own self, we left the bathroom, making our way to Vlad's enormous bed. I jumped in with a smile, reaching out to Vlad expectantly through half asleep eyes. He slipped in, smiling gently and taking me into his arms in a firm hug, a million emotions running between us.

The pillows were as heavenly as ever, but I curled up against Vlad's chest again and closed my eyes, sleep taking over almost instantly.

* * *

Hey! They made it past sucking face! *applause*


	11. Chapter 11

Whoo! Think I finally broke that writer's block! Hot dog!

This chapter is FULL of stuff.

* * *

Vlad PoV

* * *

I stared at the mahogany ceiling above me. Daniel's small limp form was resting lightly on top of me, his soft breathing a cool contrast to the heat of our skin. His nude body was flush against mine, and I could still smell the incense from his featherlight midnight hair as it tickled my chest.

Softly, I pet his black locks, feeling it slide like water between my fingers. He didn't stir, being the heavy sleeper he is. I smirked slightly. My hand returned to resting in the curve of his back, and once I pushed back my ever present desires, my mind returned to it's original pondering.

I had made sure to cancel all plans for this week, fully intending to enjoy all my valuable time with Danny. Of course, I had a whole slew of other things I should probably do first, such as warn Skulker that if he ever plans on waltzing into my castle unannounced as usual, I would personally tear him in half. Normally I wouldn't particularly care, but with the chance that he might run into me and Danny while were...together...well, I'm sure Danny would not be pleased.

I'll take care of that later today. Skulker should be picking up a new weapon set today anyways. Hmm. I'll have to warn Danny.

His lithe body shifted on top of mine, and I smiled affectionately down at him as he mumbled incoherently in his sleep. I couldn't stop the thoughts of how thankful I was to have him by my side, finally. Granted, it's a little different than I first imagined , but that makes it all the more perfect.

Brought on by the sudden happy appreciation, exciting ideas ran through my head. I would finally get to teach him how to use his ghost powers properly. Finally, I'll be able to unlock his potential, and with his consent so less. Honestly, I don't care about ruling a flawed world or exacting petty revenge, as long as I have my Daniel with me forever everything will be perfect.

A sudden realization struck me, erasing my more emotional thoughts quickly and bringing me back to earth. How could I have forgotten? He must be warned-no, informed-of the condition his human half is in as an effect of being half ghost.

I bit my lip at that, feeling nervous. How would he react to finding out he has a significantly extended life? Even more so than myself after the original accident? After all, he absorbed much more ectoplasm than I when his oh-so-brilliant father decided to place the On switch inside the portal. (I may not be after Jack's life anymore, but that doesn't mean he's not annoying.)

Logically, the effects on my human half are not so extreme. I would age at a much more normal rate compared Danny...if I hadn't already injected myself with excessive amounts of ectoplasm to extend my life and strengthen my ghost form. I had done that about 3 years after the incident with the proto-portal, after I fully discovered the effects of being half ghost. While my initial intentions were for power and a longer life to sustain such power, this new reason works out quite nicely. As far as our half human bodies are concerned, the age gap between me and Danny will never be more than about ten years.

Still, how would he react?

I pushed the more somber thoughts away, deciding to worry about that later on in the week.

Danny began to stir, groaning tiredly and stretching like a cat. I felt his muscles grow taunt beneath my fingers and relax; he looked up at me with a half asleep grin.

"Mornin' sunshine." he mumbled, his grin expanding.

"Sunshine?"

"Fine, fruitloop, whatever." He laid his head back down on my chest, snuggling close and looking as though he were about to go back to sleep.

"Oh no you don't. It's nine o'clock in the morning." I lifted his light frame up easily, my hands holding him up from under his arms.

"Vlaa_aa_d." he grumbled, eyes blinking blearily.

"Don't you 'Vlad' me. Your not going back to sleep."

"But I wanna." he pouted adorably. I almost gave in. Almost.

"Tough pancakes."

He snickered, sleep momentarily forgotten as I set him back down on top of me.

"What is it with you swearing in pastry?" he laughed.

"Pancakes aren't pastries." I argued.

"They way my dad eats them? Yes they are."

I laughed, imagining Jack dumping pounds of melted fudge on a stack of pancakes.

"I had a mother who was much more strict than I against profane language." I soon explained dryly once I got a hold of my self, forcing down a shudder as I remembered the one and only time I cursed in front of her.

"Bummer."

"Not really. At least I don't sound like an uneducated fifteen year old." I smirked.

"Fu-"

I slapped a hand over his mouth, an dark grin coming to my face.

"Daniel, if you want to sleep with me I'm sure you could come up with a much more creative way to ask."

As predicted, he turned a flaming red, eyes widening.

"Vlad!" he scowled.

I laughed heartily, the look on his face was priceless.

"That wasn't funny." He grumbled.

"Yes it was." I grinned cheekily, breaking his jumpy glances and pulling out a smirk.

"Whatever." he rolled his eyes and settled comfortably back on my chest.

As I reflected on the small joke, our unclothes states seemed to become more prominent. Danny's blush still hadn't gone and he was resting his head against my chest again. His pleasant expression complimented his perfect face, and I stroked his hair fondly. He looked up at me with his ice blue eyes, pure innocence. I contentedly stroked his hair for a few moment, marveling, until the moment broke with a small rumbling coming from under the sheets.

"Uh..." Danny looked down at his stomach, shrugging and giving me a wince.

"If you were hungry you could have said something." I raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, but, I didn't want to get out of bed." He replied meekly, making me smile.

"That's a problem easily solved."

I remained human and split my forms, the duplicate already transformed as Plasmius. He sunk into the floor, disappearing quickly. Danny stared openly at the spot my clone stood seconds ago.

"You can duplicate into your ghost form _while _your human?" he was surprised.

"It took some work, but yes." I couldn't help but sounding smug. It had taken a while to perfect after all.

Danny sighed in a rejected sort of way.

"And I can barely hold four forms." he mumbled.

"I can assure you, my boy, that won't last long."

He looked at me with confusion.

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't train you?" I asked a little dryly, watching with amusement as his face lit up excitedly.

"Really! You are?"

"Duh." I smiled at the use of the teenage slang, deciding to spontaneously loosen up a little.

Danny laughed.

"You sounded like me for a second there." He chuckled, high on excitement.

"Wouldn't that be a tragedy." I responded sarcastically, earning a light punch from him.

"Hey!"

After a pause, he remembered to ask what my duplicate was for.

"He's bringing up breakfast." I explained.

"Sweet."

Barely two seconds after the candy related expression died on his lips, my clone appeared from the floor, holding a large bed-tray with two plates of breakfast, setting it on the bed.

"Nice service." Danny commented..

The clone was quickly absorbed, leaving us with steaming pancakes, bacon, and hash browns. The tray was propped up on stands, raised from the actual bed. I scooted it closer to us and shifted a bit. Danny's warmth slid from my body as he practically inhaled his food, wiping his mouth clean and downing the milk for a finishing touch. By the time he was done I'd barely gotten through half of my meal. Teens.

"How come I never see any of your ghost staff?" Danny asked, a little out of the blue, erasing the silence that was momentarily around us.

"Because I like it that way. Walking around your home with undead servants flying around doesn't help eliminate any loneliness one might feel." My reply was deadpanned.

Danny swirled his fork in a syrup puddle on his empty plate absentmindedly.

"Well, your not alone anymore." he glanced up at me, as though looking for confirmation.

I smiled lightly at him, leaning down slowly to press my lips against his, tasting the sweet remnants of syrup.

"No, I'm not." I said gently, a hair's breathe away from his face.

He grinned, happiness lighting up even the deepest recess of his eyes. It was beautiful.

Breakfast was quickly forgotten after that. I recaptured Danny's lips, my tongue gliding effortlessly across his mouth, hands grasping his hips as I pulled him on top of me once more. His light weight pressed into me, his soft flesh tantalizing and everywhere. Danny's finger's slid through my silver hair, as always, making slight goosebumps shiver down my spine.

I decided this was a great way to start a morning.

After a long, long while we broke apart, his face so soft under my caressing fingers. His gaze held me indefinitely as his hands stroked my long hair.

"You seem to like doing that." I commented lightly.

"Doing what." he asked lazily.

"Playing with my hair."

He looked sheepish for a moment; it was adorable.

"It's very soft." he answered as though this explained everything.

I laughed lightly, kissing him once more.

"Well thats good to know." I replied in a low whisper, both of us once again lost to time as we wrapped each other up in our arms.

Finally, we managed to focus on something other than heated passion and extricated ourselves from the massive bedroom, clothed and clean at last.

We were walking down the hall with no real destination in mind. I had a nagging feeling that I was forgetting something, but I couldn't think of what it was. My mind was much too focused on the shorter figure bobbing along beside me. It wasn't until I caught a fleeting glance of a ghost maid before she whipped out of sight that my stomach lurched. I quickly remembered what I had forgotten. Skulker has a scheduled appointment-I glanced at my watch-in five minutes. And when it involves weapons he's always early.

"Uh Danny," I started hastily, "I forgot to mention, Skulker will be showing up soon to pick up some weapons down in my lab, thus, you might want to make yourself disappear for a little while."

"How soon is soon?" he asked apprehensively.

"Whelp!"

Oh butter biscuits.

Danny scowled at me, putting his hands on his hips, looking like a mother ready to scold a child. I shrugged with a wince.

"Invade my employers home will you? Your pelt will hang on my wall before the end of the day!"

Danny sighed in annoyance, changing into Phantom.

"Well, I guess I do need the practice."

"Yes, right, practice. Good job looking at the positives, Danny." I held a thumbs up to him, half smiling half wincing.

"Shut up Vlad."

He shot into the air, and I took a back seat, using this valuable time to observe Danny's fighting skills without the help of his friends or thermos.

He was better than when we last fought, definitely, but there was still much to improve on. He'd gotten better a dodging, faster too. Skulker had a harder time landing a hit on him, instead blowing up my unimportant decorations. Skulker did manage to blast Danny into the vaulted ceiling with a large missile, but the agile teen flipped in the air before he slammed into the wall and shot back down to the hunter ghost, a blazing ecto blast in his fiery hand.

Skulker almost put a hole in the floor when he was hit with the blast, quickly retaliating with a series of shots, a couple of which that clipped Danny. Obviously irritated, the hybrid dove into the fray hazardously, only to be blasted from the floor by one of Skulker's guns. I made a note to teach him not to be so hasty.

Bordering angry, Danny pulled himself from the wall and split into two forms, smartly conserving his strength. One of the clones melted back into the wall and disappeared from sight. The original Danny dove back towards Skulker, skirting the edge of the ghost's blast zone to avoid being shot again.

I saw several openings where Danny could have slipped past Skulker's defenses, but he missed them. Finally, he caught an obvious one and punched, nailing skulker in the face. The hunter stumbled back a bit, only to be kicked to the ground by Danny's reappearing clone.

From there it was pretty much all over. Skulker couldn't keep up with two Danny Phantoms and eventually fell to their combined kicks and punches. After his large metallic body crashed to the floor, missing a few limbs, Danny pulled himself back together and returned to his human form, a satisfied smirk on his face. His hair was a bit more ruffled than usual and a bruise was probably forming on his chest, but other than that he was fine.

I clapped my hands, the sound echoing around the house as I came back into attention.

"That was good Daniel. We'll need to work on your offensive strategies though, and your patience." I came to a halt in front of the defeated Skulker.

Danny nodded deftly to me, breathing a little hard. Skulker was looking in confusion at me and the young hybrid, obviously not understanding.

"What new scheme do you have now, Plasmius?" he asked angrily, slowly coming to the conclusion that he had just been used.

"Daniel has finally decided to let me teach him how to use his powers properly." I replied, sparing Skulker the truth even though I knew he wouldn't care about it anyways. In the ghost zone, no one really cares who you choose to love. You can't have rules of society when there is no society.

"Does this mean I won't be able to hunt the whelp anymore?" he demanded angrily, not looking very intimidating from his incapacitated pose on the floor.

"Of course not. He needs practice after all. Sorry about the suit though, I'll be sure to pay for a new one." He was a good ally. Couldn't have him running off in discontent now could I? It was bad business.

He grumbled a little incoherently, slowly bringing up his back-up power reserve and lifting himself from the floor. It was no where near enough power to fight, but just enough to get him back to his lair to rebuild a new suit. I saw Danny tense for a moment, but then lower his arms when it was obvious Skulker wasn't going to attack.

"Daniel, why don't you wait downstairs. This shouldn't take very long."

He got the message and floated into the air silently, looking back at me once before flying off downstairs. Skulker looked curiously from me to him.

"How did you manage to tame that wild animal?" he asked, jerking a thumb back to the area where Danny disappeared.

I only smiled secretively in response, transforming into Plasmius.

"Use your imagination." I suggested, stepping into the air and heading down to the lab.

Skulker raised an eye brow for a moment but then shook his head, slowly following after me. His suit was dented, definitely damaged beyond fighting, but he had enough strength left to carry the new weapons home. However, knowing Skulker, even if he didn't have the strength he'd carry them home anyways.

We sunk down from the ceiling of the lab, all it's pristine glory laid out to us like an artistic landscape. A landscape full of beakers, computers, and chemicals. I floated over to a large metal cabinet, throwing open the doors and revealing many half built and completed weapons. Skulker eyed them hungrily from behind me, fingers almost twitching.

I pulled out a long gun that would attach to his arm and weigh barely three ounces. Along with this I gave him several ghost-proof nets, two grenades that would spit acid in the explosion, a gun that shot traps from long distances, and another blade that had the duel ability to burn and slice.

Skulker's greedy green eyes followed the weapons as I dropped them gently into a thick bag, drawing it shut and placing it in his remaining hand.

"Skulker." I glared at him, not taking my hands from the bag just yet. He looked at me.

"Do not come into my house unannounced ever again." I commanded coldly. He knew from experience not to disobey my private requests.

He gave a quick nod, his grip on the bag tightening. I held his gaze for a second longer and finally let go. Skulker immediately brought the bag closer to him.

"This is about the whelp?" he asked, turning back once as he floated toward my open portal.

"Yes."

Skulker left it at that, knowing from my tone that I wasn't going to elaborate. That was one of the best qualities about Skulker. He knew when to shut up. As soon as his banged up self was gone, I flew up through he ceiling and into the den, where I guessed Danny would be.

I was surprised when he wasn't there, but it didn't take long to find him. He was flying around in lazy loops and circle in the grand entrance, occasionally sliding down the staircase railing. He had a content expression, looking lost in thoughts and daydreams. I floated up behind him as he blindly sailed backwards. His light weight bumped into my chest and he quickly opened his eyes.

"Oh, hi Vlad. All done with Skulker?" He asked cheerily, righting himself in the air.

"Indeed I am. I gave him several new weapons I'm sure you'll see in the future." I couldn't help but inform him, the look on his face amusing.

"I can't believe your suppling my personal predator with lethal weapons. When I die, I hope your wracked with horrible guilt." He narrowed his eyes.

"Oh please Danny. You and I both know that there isn't a snowballs chance in hell that he'll ever actually defeat you." I scoffed. "Besides, it's good practice, and none of the weapons are lethal anyways."

"I suppose your expecting me to take this all as a compliment or something?" he asked flatly.

"Yes." Of course it was a compliment. It was a testament to Daniel's strength that I let Skulker continue hunting him.

"Vlad, you have a funny way of complimenting people." Danny laughed, a light expression on his visage, "So now what do we do?" he cocked his head slightly, dark tresses falling into this crystal blue eyes. I smiled at him affectionately, reaching to brush the hair from his eyes.

"What ever you'd like." I replied.

He thought for a moment and then an eager look came over him.

"Training." he said simply, a hopeful glint in his blue orbs.

I smiled, the plan much too good to pass up. I've waited an entire year for this.

"Excellent."

I led him outside, away from the foot ball field and pools and porches and anything else a stray ecto blast could destroy. When we reached the edge of the forest we transformed into our ghost forms, jumping into the air and rising high above the tree tops. I lead Danny out about a mile from the mansion, forest surrounding us from all sides.

"Jeez Vlad. Your completely isolated out here." Danny looked around, his snow hair shining brilliantly in the sunlight.

"I like my privacy." I folded my arms, watching him, his long tail spectral tail dancing on the wind.

He looked back at me, determination in his eyes, waiting.

"I have a training room in my mansion. It's created from the latest technology and will allow even the most powerful of ghost attacks to be preformed without damage to the house. It will also set up obstacle courses; the level of difficulty is to the users discretion. It is, without a doubt, one of the most useful rooms in my mansion." I began.

"They why are we out here?" he asked, confusion coloring his voice.

I smirked.

"Because the only thing it doesn't offer is an experienced opponent. Your enemies will not operate like machines."

"Except Skulker." he muttered lowly to himself, but I easily heard it.

"Even Skulker has a mind of his own, no matter how dense." I said dryly, thinking of his one track goal.

Danny grinned. I rose an eye brow, getting back to the task at hand.

"I will not go easy on you." I warned, wanting it to be very clear that I have every intention of running him into the ground. After all, practice makes perfect.

"Good. I don't want to be babied." Danny fell into a fighting stance, hands lighting with a restrained, neon-green ecto blast. I watched as he mentally put up his wall, wrapping himself up in the mind set of attack.

I smirked, a little darkly, very much liking his attitude. One day he will be a very powerful fighter. Red encompassed my hands, ecto-fire collecting neatly in them. Then I attacked.

Danny dodged my punch well, taking the obvious opening to my stomach. It would have been a good hit had I not blocked him, twisting his wrist around and throwing him behind me. Danny spun in the air, bouncing off an invisible wall and shooting like a bullet back at me. He was fast, but sloppy, I blocked his punch and kicked him in the stomach. He sailed downward, but quickly stopped himself. He came up, floating on the edges of my reach and quickly formulating a strategy. I could see his brain ticking through those narrowed, green eyes.

I said nothing, waiting for ten seconds before going to attack. Danny dodged smoothly, missing a couple openings, but coming back with a well placed round-house kick that sent me sailing. I felt the ecto blast speeding my way before I saw it, instinctively putting up a pink shield and watching the attack explode in a million tiny lights upon impact, obscuring my vision momentarily.

I kept a careful eye on Danny, watching him serve his attacks and block several of my own. I could tell he was holding back, saving his strength. Most of his throws were petty ecto blasts. But his shields had gotten much stronger, able to withstand almost all of my attacks.

I decided to kick it up a notch, splitting my self into four clones to see how he would cope. To my surprise, he didn't clone himself. Did he honestly think he could take on all four of me at once. I caught a minuscule smirk from him and had no time to decipher it before two clones of himself shot very powerful ecto blasts through two of my own clones from behind, quickly eliminating them.

I realized he already had cloned himself, probably when I was distracted from his round house kick. Clever boy.

The two clones formed into one, doubling their shared strength and attacking my remaining clone. The original Danny jumped at me, throwing ecto powered punch after ecto powered kick swiftly, putting me on the offensive.

I blocked the attacks easily. They were strong, yes, but still sloppy. He need to concentrate on his attack more, not just half aim his punches and hope to hit. He missed more openings, but landed a few solid hits.

After the fifth or so punch, I decided to really give him a challenge.

A powerful ecto blast from me set him flying back, crashing into a tall tree. He winced, and pushed off into the air again, I didn't give him a chance to get his bearings. He managed to block me once, but I quickly restrained his arms behind him, sending a sharp electrical charge running up and down his body in an attempt to weaken him.

He shouted in pain for a second and then silenced himself, gritting his teeth angrily. His body glowed a bright green and I realized he was gathering his energy within himself. I let go and jumped back, just missing the wave he sent out. He twisted around, body smoking, and charged. I grabbed his punches out of the air, a test of strength forming between us. He grit his teeth, barely two inches from my face, eyes glaring into mine as he pushed against my restraining hands. He was very strong for his size, but no match for me. At least not yet.

I smirked and his glare dropped, apprehension glossing over him as his breath hitched slightly.

He crashed into the earth when I threw him over my head and sent him downward, a following ecto blast pushing him harder. The earth rumbled slightly from the impact and I heard him groan. I floated down, waiting for the smoke to clear so I could declare victory. However, when the crater was revealed Danny wasn't in it, I had two seconds to look behind me sharply before his fist contacted with my face.

My back slammed against a tree and I instantly phased through it, determined not to let myself be defeated. I disappeared in the trees; Danny floated through them, looking all around for me with narrow eyes. I came from above, feet digging into his back as I forced him to the ground again.

He grunted and phased through the ground to relieve the pressure on his back. I twirled around and punched him in the face before he could sneak up on me again. He crashed into the base of a tree and the branches shook, sending a couple leaves down. I peaked his scrunched eyes open and yelped, narrowly avoiding my fist as it dug into the tree where his head had been seconds ago.

He stumbled slightly and he turned around, his arms jumping up to block again.

The battle didn't last long after that. Danny was fatigued, my relentless attack was wearing him down. When a restrained punch to the chest sent him back into a tree again, I knew he was beat. My fist turned to a splayed hand, holding him up slightly. His eyes were closed, his breathing deep and ragged. His lip was bleeding and a dark bruise was forming on his jaw. My wall crumbled away and I felt remorse wash over me, something I'd never experienced when fighting Danny before. Actually, it was something I'd never experienced when fighting _anyone _before. I took my hand away and stepped back. Danny bent over, his hands on his knees and breathing hard.

"Damn...you..." he coughed, wiping sweat from his forehead and glaring up at me in annoyance. An unexpected flash of fear ran through me. Did I go too far? But was quickly able to tell he was more annoyed at himself for loosing.

"It was much better than our last fight. You did very well." I felt the need to reassure him, but I couldn't help but tease. "Except, of course, for loosing."

"Shut up Vlad." he groaned, flopping onto the soft grass, face down.

I chuckled lightly, sitting down next to him and petting his soft hair. The sun shone down through a hole in the canopy above. A stream of sunlight separated us from the darkness of the forest, warm and comfortable. I accidentally lost track of the time, perfectly content to sit in the warmth and pet Danny's head as he lay face down beside me. His breathing was normal, my hand went from petting his hair to rubbing his back gently. I don't know how long we sat there, surrounded by the sounds of the forest.

"You know, I don't think you're going to learn very much if we stop like this all the time." I chuckled down at him when I finally noticed that we'd been there for quite a while.

"We're not stopping." his voice was muffled, "We're...uh...taking a break."

"Indeed, a break." I rolled my eyes, letting the laws of gravity fall away from me as I floated into a standing position.

"Come Danny, I have a remedy that will heal your bruises faster. Then we can begin actually _learning _how to ghost fight." I looked down at him, remembering all the things he needed to work on to perfect his attacks.

"So no more beat-up-Danny time?" he still hadn't moved.

"Yes, no more beat-up Danny time."

"Sweet!" one second he was on the ground and the next he was floating next to me, dried blood still on his lip. "Lets get that remedy, you punch _hard_."

I winced slightly, feeling guilty but certainly not voicing it, and rose into the air with him. We sped toward the castle and I made a note to teach him how to warp soon. The wind sped past us, whipping Danny's hair back as he zoomed past me.

"Race ya!" he called, his spectral tail zig-zagging in a challenging way as he looked back at me with a smirk. I grinned and increased my speed, coming into a close behind him.

He was fast, I'll give him that. The fact that he could even manifest a spectral tail shows he has great strength in agility. Unfortunately, a gift is useless if not used correctly, and my 20 years experience easily surpassed him.

The castle was rapidly approaching and I fell back till we were neck and neck. When an ivy covered wall was practically upon us, I stopped so suddenly that Danny didn't know what was going on, looking back at me in confusion.

"Don't forget to phase, Daniel!" I called evilly, laughing with a wince when he smacked right into the wall. Butternuts, I am a jerk.

He groaned in pain and fell to the earth, eyes rolling around his head in disorientation. I floated back to the ground, the black rings returning me to my human form, and looked down at him, a smirk on my face. The way I see it, this is early payment for all the gloating I'm going to endure when his speed does surpass mine.

"You...are such...an ass." He panted, clutching his head and struggling to push himself up.

"I know." Grinning, I swiftly picked him up, being sure to avoid his bruises.

"Hey! Put me down!" he yelled in protest, miffed about smacking into the wall.

"Danny, you can barely walk. Do you really want me to put you down?" I asked, knowing the answer.

"Well whose fault is that?" he grumbled, settling down and transforming back into his human form. The white rings went through my body, feeling like a cold relief on a hot summer day.

"If you had let me train you, oh say, a year ago this wouldn't be a problem." I reasoned, hugging his light form to me as we approached a doorway into the mansion.

"Well I would have, if you hadn't been such a bitter revenge-bent fruitloop."

"Touche."

He smiled to himself, finally relaxing into my arms.

"So, is this remedy thing like, a shot or something?" I could hear the apprehension in his voice.

"Of course not." I laughed, "It's a tea. Technically, it's a type of root from the ghostzone, but I prefer to boil it into a tea. If you'd like to eat it raw, be my guest."

"Ugh." he made a face. "No thanks. Eating raw plants is Sam's job."

I remembered him telling me about his strange ultra-recylo vegetarian friend. How he could stand to be around so much tofu is beyond me. We walked across the threshold of a doorway and into the cool air of the mansion, my footsteps muffled by the elegant floor carpet.

"Okay, I'm all better, can you put me down now?" he said quickly, beginning to squirm again.

"Nope." I smiled, having fun arguing with him.

He huffed in annoyance and crossed his arms, looking disgruntled.

"Your so cute when your angry." I grinned, kissing him lightly on the head.

He deflated at that, glancing at me with a furtive smile, his arms falling limp and swinging in the air. I lead the way into another kitchen, this one very small and full of miscellaneous bottled plants and such. It looked more like an apothecary than a kitchen. A few pumice stones stood on the wooden counter tops, the largest one on the square island next to a single burner. The who room had a very outdoorsy jungle feel. Not that I really cared how the room was decorated as long as it served it's purpose.

"Jeez, Vlad, how many kitchens do you have?" he looked around the small room as I set him down on one of the two bar stools as the island.

"I honestly don't know." I rummaged through the cabinets, finding a mason jar full of a sickly green looking root and setting it on the counter.

"Ew, I have to eat that." Danny made a face.

"Yes. It comes from an evil plant ghost named Undergrowth."

"Wow, that makes it so much more appetizing."

I laughed, slowly turning the root into a nice bitter tea that Danny probably wouldn't like.

"It's not going to turn me into some crazy evil plant or something it is?" he glared at the root.

"No, but it's not going to be very tasty, I'll give you that."

"Of course not. It comes from an evil plant ghost." he poked the extra roots within the mason jar, glaring at them like a distrustful cat.

I watched him with slight amusement, keeping an eye on the boiling root tea. I pulled two deep blue mugs from the cabinet, setting them down in front of us. When the tea started whistling, Danny jumped and looked at the kettle in mild surprise.

"I thought that only happened in cartoons." he muttered.

I rolled my eyes, shaking my head a pouring the blackish-green tea into the pair of mugs.

"Hey, why are you drinking this? It's not like you got hurt." he mumbled bitterly.

"Trust me, you landed a few good hits. Besides, I've come to like this tea a little bit."

"You can't get addicted to this stuff, can you?" he eyed the steaming drink apprehensively.

"Taste it and that'll answer your question. When I say I've come to like this tea a little bit, I really mean _a little bit_." I took a sip, managing to not make a face.

Danny stared at it for a little longer and then took a hesitant sip, almost immediately choking and spiting it back out.

"That's disgusting!" he gagged, giving the mug vile glares.

"True, but it's very potent. If you managed to get down even a drop through that hacking fit you'll know what I mean." I took another sip, feeling the rush of rejuvenation run through me like a wave.

Danny sighed, wincing at he picked up the mug again and put it to his lips, tipping it back slightly and shuddering as it fell down his throat, looking as though he were in pain. I laughed lightly.

"Your so dramatic." I shook my head, an amused smile on my face.

"I am no-Oh, wow, that stuff is potent." he blinked, sitting up straighter.

"Told you." I smirked.

"Whatever, I'm still mad at you for the wall thing." he stuck out his tongue.

I rolled my eyes, talking a bigger sip.

It took Danny a while to drink the tea, and once finished he swore it would have been just as painful to wait till the bruises faded. I called him dramatic again, which prompted him to push me into the wall. As fate would have it, I fell against a plant which fell over and knocked down a priceless vase, which immediately shattered upon contact with the tiled floor. I told Danny his clumsiness was wearing off on me. Danny said it was karma.

I led him to my training room and his irritation was quickly forgotten. The massive room was surrounded by paneled white walls. I knew that at the push of a button a different type of gun would appear from behind almost every one of the panels. A boxing ring set in a corner of the room and many weight benches and weights were next to it. Rings jutted out from the ceiling and walls, some with the ability to be set on fire.

I had other miscellaneous things to test intangibility and invisibility and such. Different types of walls to fly through and different environments to retain invisibility in. After all, it takes more stamina to remain invisible in extreme heat or extreme cold compared to normal room temperatures. Same principle applies with intangibility. Different types of surfaces are difficult to phase through, such as infra red walls.

In a small room protected by every shield available, the controls rested. From in there I could raise or lower the difficulty setting. We spent almost four hours in the training room, most of the time working on Danny's hand to hand offensive combat. I taught him where to spot an opening in an enemies defenses and how to most effectively penetrate it. I told him to have patience and wait for an opening, not to try and make the enemy create one by jumping head long into battle in a barrage of haphazard attacks.

We were in there for as long as he wanted, and while I was pleased with his determination to learn, I wasn't about to let him run himself ragged. So, when he was panting with exhaustion and practically falling over, I made him stop. He reluctantly agreed.

"Man I'm tired." He breathed deeply, placing his hands on his knees.

"I would expect so after three hours and forty five minutes of ceaseless sparring."

He just gasped for air in response, drowning down the water from the bottle I gave him.

"What...time is it?" he asked.

"Almost five. We're a bit late for lunch."

"Oh, just a bit." He gasped sarcastically, smiling playfully up at me.

Standing straight, he stretched high to the sky, bending his cracking back and exhaling. Muscles under his damp skin were pulled taunt, quickly attracting my wandering eyes. After a pause he looked down to his sweaty body and made a face.

"Ew. Shower first, then dinner." he said.

His bare chest was glistening with shiny droplets, the basket ball shorts he was wearing hung low on his hips. It had been very fun teaching him how to block and attack, I remembered with a lazy grin.

"Uh, Vlad?" he waved his hand in front of my face.

"What?" I pulled myself from my memories slowly.

"Shower. You coming?" he asked, pointing to the ceiling and changing into Phantom.

I gave him a look.

"Right," he scratched the back of his head sheepishly, "Well come on then."

I reached out and pulled him into me, transforming into Plasmius. The black rings passed through me and he instinctively pressed himself closer to me, a comfortable smile on his face.

"I'm teaching you how to warp this week." I promised.

He grinned in elation and excitement. I caught his smile in my lips, pressing him to me as we disappeared in the air. I led him through the warp into our bathroom easily, the soft carpet below us once more. The jacuzzi brought back good memories and judging by the light blush and secretive smile on Danny's face, he thought so too.

"We're never going to leave here if we use the tub again." I said practically and looked over to my double wide shower. "Shall we?" I raised an eye brow, smirking.

White rings crossed Danny and revealed his brilliant blue eyes again, a mischievous glint in them. He kicked his shoes off and started undressing as an answer; I quickly followed suit. The shower was made of black marble, just like almost everything else in the bathroom. The four gold shower heads were angled perfectly, all the soaps one could imagine set into a niche in the shower wall. Danny stepped hesitantly into the shower, glancing up behind me as though to make sure I were still there.

I smiled reassuringly and placed a hand on the small of his back, closing the glass door behind me, encasing us behind it's misty wall. The water came out at the perfect temperature, mildly hot water pouring down on us from all four spouts.

"Vlad, the word excessive comes to mind when I think of your bathroom." he looked at the four spouts, shaking his head hopelessly with a smirk.

"Excessive? Nonsense, I just like to enjoy the simple pleasures of life." I shrugged and then pulled him close, "Now come here."

Danny fell against me, and his skin was as smooth as ever. I bent down to kiss his neck lightly and then poured a small amount of shampoo on his head. I worked the soap into his beautiful hair, my fingers massaging his scalp. He hummed with a happy smile, closing his eyes.

"That feels good." he mumbled contentedly.

"That's the idea." I smirked from behind him, my bubble covered hands delicately working the soap in.

I reached up and pulled one of the shower nozzles from the wall, the long tube looking like a snake sliding from the wall. The hot water bled through is hair, removing the white soap and revealing the midnight hair beneath like a rebirth of treasure. The conditioner slipped through his tresses, making them sinfully soft.

Danny leaned against my chest, his hands caressing my thighs where they fell against me. A soft washcloth of body soap rested in my hand furtively, I tipped Danny's head back slightly and kissed him. His lips moved smoothly against mine, like gentle waves. Slowly, he turned around, his arms traveling up my chest and wrapping around my neck. His fingers ran through my loose, wet hair, sometimes coming up to caress my face.

When my hazy mind remembered, I rested the soap covered cloth against the small of Danny's back, bringing it up to wash his back. Danny deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding against mine. I clutched him tighter, his flesh feeling so perfect as it melded against me.

I washed his lithe body, the ripples of muscle flexing under the soft cloth. Danny groaned slightly when I went from washing his chest to a much lower region, but he didn't break the kiss, instead holding me tighter, his hands becoming more needy.

I moved slowly, holding him close and taking care to be exceedingly gentle, almost teasingly so. Danny moaned when I passed over his arousal again, this time slowing down. He clutched me tighter, but I returned to washing the rest of his beautiful body, much to his disappointment.

"Jerk." he huffed, hugging me close to him.

I laughed lowly, the clean water slipping off my shoulders and onto him.

"We do have to leave the shower eventually Danny." I reminded him.

"Really?" he obviously wanted to stay in here all night. It was a very tempting thought.

"Really. Can't have you starving to death again can we?" His needs held priority over my pleasure.

"I'm not gonna die if I skip one dinner." he mumbled.

I kissed his forehead, quickly running some soap through my hair.

"Oh no you don't." Danny suddenly transformed into phantom, right in the shower, the HAZMAT jumpsuit repelling most of the water.

Before I could ask what on earth he was doing, he snaked up behind me and moved my hands away, replacing my fingers with his. They tangled in the silver locks, rubbing the soap in and playing with my long hair. Danny removed his gloves and they faded out of existence before they fell to the shower floor. His spectral tail was curled around me, cooling my fiery core unlike any other.

Still, I couldn't help but laugh slightly that he had to phase into phantom to reach my hair comfortably.

"Just you wait Vlad, in a couple years I might even be taller than you." He grinned vengefully from behind me, tugging a strand of hair as he played with it.

I smirked back at him, pushing away the gut wrenching pull in my stomach and hiding my true emotions. Daniel wouldn't even be taller than me in thirty years.

"Vlad?" his concerned tone suddenly took me by surprise. I though for sure I had hidden my emotions perfectly.

"Fat chance." I raised an eyebrow, bringing a playful tone in my voice.

Danny blinked and then rolled is eyes, returning to washing my hair.

"You won't be saying that when I actually _do _turn out to be taller than you." he washed out the soap and applied conditioner, spreading it liberally through my hair. I took the time to wash the rest of my body as he cleaned my hair and he put on a pouting face.

"Hey..."

I quickly turned around and kissed him on his protruding lip, the pout melting into a smile.

"Dinner awaits." I reminded him again.

He sighed but returned to playing/washing my hair dutifully, a private smile on his face.

Eventually, we finally made it out of the room, freshly clean. Danny had insisted on wearing his pajamas around the house and a long passionate kiss was more than enough to convince me. Dinner awaited us in the kitchen, spotless silver domes retaining the heat of the food. We sat next to each other, neither of us really aware of the pull between us, just following our instincts.

"Man, It's gonna be a bummer going back to demonic turkey and burnt vegetables when I go home." Danny savored the chicken alfredo, a light smile on his face.

"Indeed. You probably won't be able to stand the commoner food and you'll just have to come over here that much more." I sighed dramatically.

He snorted and rolled his eyes, shaking his head.

"You probably couldn't handle "commoner food," could you Vlad?"

"On the contrary, I used to eat frozen boxed foods on a regular basis."

"College?"

"College."

He nodded in understanding, a thought suddenly coming to him.

"What was your childhood like?" He asked curiously.

I set my fork down, an odd feeling in my stomach.

"My childhood?" I sounded almost as if I were trying to remember. What an odd and unexpected question.

He watched me, waiting, looking as though he regretted asking. I answered before he could take the question back.

"I grew up in a suburban neighborhood, about a twenty minute drive from the capital of Wisconsin. It was the type of neighborhood where appearances are everything and everything looks the same." My tone obviously expressed that I never liked it.

"My mother and father were complete opposites." I laughed slightly, reminiscing. "She was straight from the sixteys and never left them, he was a stern straight forward man who didn't deal with nonsense. Why he married my mother, I'll never know. She made hats and purses and sold then in her own store in the city, made quite a bit of money too. He worked for a corporation and was one of the higher ups in the business. He wasn't home as often as my mother, but I didn't really care. I never liked my father very much." I couldn't help but narrow my eyes. Honestly, I hated my father.

"My mother more or less raised me. Her and father often got into fights over parenting styles, but in the end they usually worked out fair deals. I went to private schools until college, because my father had to keep his image up. It looked much better on his reputation if his only son went to private school. My mother was a very free spirited woman with a very open mind." I smiled, remembering her. "She was accepting to everything I wanted to do, unless of course it would harm me in some way. I used to meditate with her all the time, as odd as that sounds. She was a devoted pagan, my father an atheist."

"Pagan? As in witchcraft and stuff?" Danny's face told me he thought all of that was a lot of nonsense.

"Indeed, and it's not as crazy as one might think it is, although it was never quite for me. I was simply content to believe in a mysterious higher power and left it at that. However, It was through her paganism that I gaining an interest in spirits and ghosts, much to my fathers disapproval. I was already discontented with the life he wanted me to live so I didn't really care. Anyways, it was when I started taking a more active interest in the paranormal that my father stepped in. According to him, it wouldn't do to have his son turn out crazy."

"Ouch." Danny winced.

"Indeed. For all my father's abilities in manipulation and deceptiveness, he had an odd knack for talking without thinking when around his family. My mother was furious, but in the end, as always, they made up."

I paused, wondering if I should really run the risk and bring out the past in front of Danny.

"It...it was my senior year in high school. I knew I was allowed to choose my own college and had every intention of going to the University of Wisconsin. Mostly to piss my father off. It was a public college after all and with my grades I could have made it to Oxford in London."

"My mother died before I graduated." Danny's eyes widened and everything in him stilled. "She was driving home one night and a semi-truck flipped over because of a drunk driver. She was killed instantly."

Danny was very quiet, staring at his food.

"My father was distraught. He quit his job, sold the house, and moved to the country. I went on to college. Her death turned everything upside down for me. I became more reclusive, moved on from the paranormal to science and business, became an atheist. In short, I was my father. It wasn't until my junior year in college that I looked in the mirror and realized this wasn't what my mother had hoped for me. It took a while, but after I faced my depression head on, I slowly returned to my old self. Although I was more like a teetering rock on a needle, no way of telling which way I'd fall."

"In my senior year of college I took up more paranormal classes and less business. That, of course, was where I met your mother and father." I paused, wondering whether or not to continue. This part could get awkward.

Danny watched me, waiting for me to continue.

"I...well I saw a bit of my mother in Maddie, and thus became very attached to her as you can imagine."

Danny raised an eyebrow.

"I think I can do more than imagine Vlad."

"Right...well, after the proto-portal accident and her rejection, the rock fell the wrong way on the needle and I turned into more of a monster than even my father, and I don't mean my ghost half." I glared bitterly at the wall to the left of me, ashamed at myself.

But slowly, my face softened, as a much sweeter thought fluttered across my mind.

"And then you came along..." I muttered, a smile crossed my face subconsciously; I was still staring at the wall.

There was a moment of silence between us until Danny's voice spoke up again.

"What about your dad?"

Good thoughts gone.

"Ah yes. Him." my tone darkened significantly and my glare returned. I looked over at Danny.

"After I discovered I was half ghost I was close to going insane. Because of my own doing, I didn't have two devoted friends to help me through it. So, I went to the only person I had left, my father."

A look of dread was coming over Danny's face, almost as though he knew what happened next. I wouldn't put it past him, he has excellent intuition.

"To put it very lightly, he declared me a freak, denied I was ever his son, and told me he never wanted to see me again. I haven't spoken to him in over twenty years."

Danny was shocked into silence, and I resumed to glaring at the wall, waiting for my bitter emotions to die down.

"And thats my childhood." I finished, the anger stubbornly hanging on for a few more minutes before I breathed deeply, not wanting them to remain. I was tired of being angry.

I looked over to Danny, my expression lighter and probably more approachable. He was moving a few peas around on his almost empty plate, looking as thought _he _was the one with an unpleasant past.

"Danny, that's all over and done with. I don't dwell on it because you can't change the past. Experience has taught me it's best to use your energy on shaping the future, as cheesy as that sounds." I waved a hand flippantly.

"Still..." he winced.

"Daniel." he looked up at me. "It's over with. Personally, I'm much more inclined to focus on the now, if you get what I mean." I cast him a suggestive smile and his face cracked in a reluctant smirk.

"Are you always horny?" he laughed.

"With you? Yes. Lets go upstairs, shall we?" I asked pointedly, intending on finishing what I started in the shower.

Danny stood up as well, a sultry smirk on his face. Unfortunately, it was quickly wiped away with a look of remembrance as he smacked his palm to his forehead.

"I gotta IM Tucker." he groaned.

"Now?" I asked.

"Do you really think I'll get to it later?" He gave me a look and I relented with a sigh.

"Fine, come with me." I sighed.

I let him to an office-esque room. It was small for my mansion, filled with useless books, empty filing cabinets and a polished desk, complete with the latest Desktop.

"Will this do?" I asked.

"Yep." Danny plopped down in the desk chair and I logged him on.

Curiosity momentarily distracted me as Danny pulled up the Internet and pressed several different things that somehow led to a chat box.

_Clueless-1_Tucker? Sam?_

"Clueless-1?" I questioned, a laugh in my voice.

"Sam and Tucker insisted it was the perfect user name for me, but I don't know why..." he shook his head making me roll my eyes.

He really was clueless if he still couldn't see how bad that goth friend of his had it for him. It's a good thing there is absolutely no competition between us or else I might have to violently intervene. I brought my attention back to the screen in time to see that his friends had replied.

_TechMaster01_Danny! You still alive?_

_Clueless-1_Kinda._

_Spooky-Bat-Grl_Whats that supposed to mean!_

_Clueless-1_Sam, I'm half ghost. _

_Spooky-Bat-grl_Oh. Right._

_Clueless-1_Is Jazz there?_

_TechMaster01_Danny? This is Jazz. Are you okay? Why didn't you IM Tucker yesterday?_

"Is that all their going to babble about?" I muttered.

"Probably." Danny muttered back, typing faster than my personal secretary.

_Clueless-1_I'm fine guys. Vlad's not brainwashing me, and why the heck would I IM you yesterday? I spent all day with you guys. _

_TechMaster01_I can't believe your sister stole my user._

_Spooky-Bat-Grl_ Tucker. Focus._

_TechMaster01_Jazz again. Of course you should have IM'ed yesterday! For all we knew he could have killed you when you got back to Wisconsin._

I was slightly offended by that.

_Clueless-1_You guys are way too paranoid. And how did Jazz use Tucker's user? Are you guys all at Tuck's place?_

_Spooky-Bat-Grl_Yeah. He's got tons of computers. Jazz doesn't want to make an account so she's just using Tuckers. Okay, back to the main point._

_TechMaster01_Jazz here again. How do we really know this is Danny?_

_Spooky-Bat-Grl_Yeah, good point. This could be Vlad pretending to be Danny._

I rolled my eyes.

"Good lord, are they always this paranoid?" I asked.

"Yep." Danny sounded as though he put up with their paranoia on a regular basis.

"Tell them it's me and your locked in a closet about to be maimed by Skulker."I suggested, feeling devious.

Danny turned around in his seat and gave me a look.

"Do you _want _them to come busting through here in the Specter Speeder?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh come now, they wouldn't go that far, would they?"

"Trust me. They would."

I sighed in defeat, contenting myself with reading their messages instead.

_Spooky-Bat-Grl_Hello? Is this really Danny? Are you still there?_

_Clueless-1_Yeah Sam, I'm still here._

_TechMaster01_But how do we know your really Danny? _

"Jeez, their not gonna give up!" Danny muttered to himself, suddenly pausing and looking around the desktop.

"Um...Can I help you?" I watched at he scrambled around the desk, looking for something.

"Yeah, do you have-Ah! There it is." he looked at a little camera lens built into the top of the computer, smiling. "And it's built into the desktop. Nice."

"I'm sorry, what is that?" I asked in confusion. What did he need a camera for?

"You'll see." he had a mischievous smirk on his face and I wasn't sure whether I should be alarmed or not.

_Clueless-1_Tucker, can you connect your Web Cam to Vlad's? _

_TechMaster01_My user isn't Tech Master for nothing._ _;) _

"Web Cam?" I asked, feeling uneducated and not liking it.

"You'll see." Danny repeated again.

I exhaled sharply and crossed my arms, waiting and watching the screen. About two minutes later a little box popped up asking if we wanted to sync with "Too Fine Tucker." Danny clicked yes and ten seconds later a box about half the size of the screen appeared. The concerned faces of Samantha, Tucker, and Jasmine were all squeezed into the small frame.

"Danny!" Their face lit up happily, full of relief.

"I liked the chat box better." I muttered, their loud, obnoxious voices already starting to annoy me.

At the sound of my voice their grins fell and they glared at me as one. I stared back at them, completely unphased.

"Stop it, Vlad." Danny stuck his tongue out at me and I wondered how loud his friends would scream if I reached down and kissed him. Tempting.

I restrained myself, flicking him in the back of the head instead.

"Leave my brother alone." Jazz glared. Who did she think she was to boss me around like that? I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make her squirm.

I placed my hands possessively on Danny's shoulders, leaning over him slightly.

"I'll do whatever I want with him, Jasmine." I grinned darkly.

The glare slipped off her face and a scared expression replaced it. Her eyes glanced down to my hands and back to my face, something akin to suspicion in her eyes.

"Vlad." Danny breathed quietly, warningly.

Without a word I stood straight, moving my hands back to my sides. There was a tense silence between the six of us where no one talked. Everyone was glaring at someone except for Danny, who looked more like frantic child stuck between two feuding parents.

"So, um, now you know it's me." he broke the silence with a strained voice, shrugging helplessly to his friends.

Eventually, they dropped their trained glares and resumed attention to my Daniel. I stood silently behind him, watching them expressionlessly.

"What did you do today Danny?" Jazz asked innocently.

Danny shrugged.

"Trained mostly."

"Trained?" Sam sounded suspicious.

"Yeah, but there's no strings attached. Just training for the sake of training." he assured them. They didn't believe him, casting me suspicious glances. I ignored them. Let them be suspicious, it's not like there was anything they could do about it.

"So...what did you guys do today?" he asked.

"Not much. School. A little ghost fighting. There haven't been a lot of ghosts though. It's weird." Tucker replied.

"That because I've told them all to back off." I supplied an answer to their mystery in a bored tone.

They looked at me in confusion, torn between appreciation and stubborn dislike.

"Really? Thanks." Danny looked up and smiled at me. My irritation to his friends disappeared when I looked down at him, a soft smile forming at his thanks.

I really wish he'd hurry this up.

He read my mind, turning to his friends.

"It's been a long day guys. I'm gonna get to bed early." he said, finality in his voice.

Their faces fell, obviously not wanting him to leave.

"But we've barely been on for ten minutes." Tucker whined.

"I know, but its been a _really _long day. I wanna go to bed." He said again, a little more forcefully this time.

They all sighed dejectedly. I smiled smugly to myself, getting an odd satisfaction out of knowing that Danny was cutting off their conversation for me.

"Alright, but promise me you'll IM here tomorrow again." Jazz said sternly.

"Promise." The arrow on the screen hovered over the little square, x-box on the Web Cam screen.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow." Danny smiled.

"Night."

"Night." he answered to them, instantly shutting the screen down and turning around to me.

I wasted absolutely no time in pressing his lips against mine, phasing into Plasmius. Danny followed my lead, hooking his arms around my neck and floating up from the chair. I held his hips gently, as though I were afraid they would break if I gripped him to hard. Danny's breath flowed into mine, his warn tongue tracing the contours of my mouth lightly. I pulled him closer to me, wrapping my arms around his thin frame and pressing him against me.

Little swirls of pink twisted around us, spreading across our view and enveloping us like a blanket. We twisted out of existence, never breaking the kiss. I easily led us to my room, the pink hue dissipating as we appeared and fell to the bed.

Stars twinkled outside but neither of us noticed, to wrapped up in our own desires. Life went on around us, we existed in our own space. Nothing could touch us here and the unbridled emotions could flow between us openly, without fear. This was our oasis, our escape into a better place. Who needed heaven when we had each other?

* * *

Aww, how sweet. H'okay, so if I somehow offended anyone with mentioning Paganism (GASP) in this, then I must say I'm not sorry. Your reading a slash fic people. The last thing you need to feel offended by is mentionings of Paganism. Seriously.

On a more legit note, I feel Vlad's childhood was a bit 'out there' even for a fan fic. I just really didn't want to make him a farmer. Your thoughts?


	12. Chapter 12

Okay, so I've got a funny feeling that I shouldn't post this yet cause there's something wrong with it. The problem is that I can't figure out what said mystery problem is, if there even is one. But I've kept you all waiting long enough and I'm tired of re-reading this 20 ba-jillion times so...here ya' go.

But if I go back and edit this later, don't say I didn't warn you. Maybe I'm just paranoid...

* * *

Danny PoV

* * *

Someone was blowing on my face and it was starting to get annoying.

A body that was quickly becoming very familiar was holding me gently. I could feel the lazy heat of the sun on my skin. Vlad's nude, warm body was flush against my own, the comfortable warmth contrasting sharply with the light stream of cold air hitting my forehead.

I groan sleepily, clutching Vlad tighter and burying my face farther into his chest. A chuckle came from somewhere. After a second or two the cold air came back and I pulled my head back groggily, cracking my bleary eyes open with an annoyed frown on my face.

Through the haze of sleep I saw Vlad's ethereal face, shining in the sunlight, loose silver hair glowing. I smiled stupidly, thinking of how perfect he was. Then his ethereal face blew into mine and realization clicked. Oh...that was Vlad. Duh.

"It's almost noon again." he grinned, looking proud. His smooth voice turned teasing, "We even went to bed early."

I grumbled incoherent things, struggling to keep the smile off my face as I remembered last night. Vlad smirked, running a hand through my hair affectionately. Just because we went to bed early doesn't mean we went to sleep early.

I gave up trying not to smile and let the lazy grin spread, using Vlad's shoulder and pulling myself up to kiss him. He responded immediately, cupping my neck and leaning me over. Strands of silver tickled my face as his strong hands stroked my neck. I smiled into the kiss, never wanting to leave.

"We do have to eat eventually, Danny." he said quietly, his breath a whisper from mine.

"No we don't." I kissed him again and he held me tighter. I believe it was several days later when we resurfaced.

"Danny." He whispered playfully, looking at though he enjoyed saying my name.

"Do we have to?" I whined, wanting him to kiss me again.

"Yes, we have to." his replied patiently.

"Fine." I sighed theatrically, rolling over in a languid fashion and pulling myself from the bed unwillingly.

My sluggish muscles were stiff, most likely from all the training yesterday. The sun warmed my bare form as I stretched high to the sky, looking out into the bright blue atmosphere beyond the window. Another great day.

I smiled contentedly, hands on my hips as I imagined spending time in the perfect weather, with Vlad of course. Speaking of which...

I turned around slightly, looking over my shoulder. The lazy hypocrite was still in bed, although instead of sleeping he was giving my body a rather hungry look. I smirked, feeling my ego rise a few notches. The fact that I could get _that _look from _the _Vlad Masters? Awesome.

"Well come on lazy, I thought we had to get up." I smirked arrogantly at him.

Vlad rolled his eyes and finally got out of bed. It's funny how quickly the tables were turned and suddenly I was the one staring hungrily. Our shower together was finished in record time and soon I was rummaging through my dresser for clothes.

When I had bought myself a new wardrobe with Sam and Tucker, I'd stuck it all in one of Vlad's empty dressers. He's insanely excessive and has a walk in closet full of enough clothing to cover every child in Africa, so he doesn't use them. After pulling on boxers, jeans, and a random T-shirt, I ran a brush through my messy hair and turned to Vlad.

At the sight of his attire my jaw stopped working and fell open in a gape. He was wearing jeans. I didn't even know he owned jeans. He had his usual white, button up blouse-thing, but that didn't matter cause he was wearing _blue jeans_.

"What?" Vlad raised an eyebrow, but I was still in shock.

"Uhhh..."

He turned and faced me, raising an eyebrow as he pulled his hair into a pony tail and finished buttoning up his blouse. It didn't take him long to figure out the reason for my staring.

"They're just blue jeans, Danny."

"You probably haven't worn blue jeans in twenty years." I finally closed my mouth and gave him a look.

Vlad waved the comment away and walked over to me, taking me by the hand and leading me out the door. I took his silence as confirmation.

We ate in the outside kitchen this time, the warm sun and gentle breeze brushing past us. It was a bright spring morning and the vibrant flowers that surrounded the patio were in full bloom, their delicate fragrance reaching my nose.

Vlad made a late breakfast of omelets, full of sausage, bacon, peppers, and cheese. I tried to make one myself, but that was just an embarrassing failure. The egg wouldn't flip. Vlad laughed.

We spent a good hour or so talking about nothing and everything, the conversation light and pleasant. We got back on the topic of childhood and Vlad had fun worming out the fact that I've never kissed a girl. I argued that me and Sam had had plenty of fake-out make-outs, but he stubbornly argued that those didn't count. I think he was just jealous.

Eventually we cleaned up and stood together in the warm breeze, neither of us wanting to go inside. Vlad proposed a walk and I shrugged in agreement, following him as he lead the way to the forest surrounding us. There was already a beaten trail that was wide enough for three people easily and it stretched deep, winding around trees and through bridges over pristine creeks.

"Did you make this trail?" I asked, ducking under a low hanging branch.

"Me? No. People I hired? Yes. I came out here and laid out where I wanted the trail to go and they made it. This particular one stretches on for about twenty miles and comes back to the other side of the castle?"

"Twenty miles!?" I gaped.

"Mmhm. We probably won't walk the whole thing of course, but it's the best and most scenic trail I have."

"There's more than one?"

"Oh yes. The rest are much shorter, between three and five miles, but they're still trails all the same."

"Why do you have these trails? Do you even use them?" the man already had tons of things in his castle he didn't touch, so why would he take the time to lay out a twenty mile trail if he wasn't planing on using it?

"Actually," we came to a tree that had fallen elegantly over the path and Vlad dunked under one of it's massive branches. "I use these trail quite often, at least once a week."

"You do?" my voice tinged with disbelief. I jumped over the large trunk of the tree and met Vlad on the other side. We continued walking; the castle had disappeared behind us.

"My mother was a pagan Danny, naturally, I have a slight disposition for nature. It's very calming." he explained.

"So is beating the crap out of the Box Ghost." I threw in.

"Indeed." Vlad agreed with a chuckle.

We walked along in silence. The path we were taking twisted up and around a massive tree, spilling out below us as the forest opened up. I followed Vlad, his feet carrying him on autopilot as he continued to lead me through the sunlit forest. Everything was teeming with life here, right down to the little ants that crawled across the rocks.

"Hey Vlad?"

"Hmm?"

"Where do you think we go when we die?" Kind of a morbid question for a nice stroll through the woods, but when your half ghost, nothing is really that morbid to you anymore.

"By 'we' do you mean normal humans or 'we' as in us?" Vlad asked without hesitation, not finding the question odd in the slightest.

"I dunno. Both I guess." I shrugged.

Vlad was quiet, pondering.

"There are so many possibilities." he muttered quietly, obviously to himself.

"What do you mean?" I couldn't help but ask.

He glanced down at me and back to the path.

"Well, for us, we might be doomed to an eternity in the Ghost Zone, seeing as half of us is already dead and still lingering as our ghost halves, like a restless spirit. On the other hand, perhaps we will move on like any other person and only our ghost halves will remain. Fenton and Masters may move on, but will Phantom and Plasmius be left behind as an echo? Or maybe we'll move on like everybody else and there won't be anything different, assuming of course people don't just cease to exist after death."

"Do you think people cease to exist after they die?" It sounded like a really depressing outlook in my opinion.

"I used to. I used to think that no existence would be better than my current existence, and in some twisted way I looked forward to death." Whoa, whoa, whoa. Was Vlad admitting that he used to be suicidal?

"So I had no problem doing whatever I wanted with my ghost powers and shamelessly enjoyed my selfish indulgences." He grinned down at me.

Never mind. Definitely not suicidal.

"Basically, since you didn't believe you had anything to own up to after death, you could do whatever the hell you wanted to on Earth?"

"Basically."

"But what about the people you had to own up to?"

"In that past twenty years, there has only been one person I've needed to own up to, and it has been very recent."

"Who?"

"You, genius." Vlad gave me a look. Duh.

I smiled, a little more bounce in my step. I was Vlad's conscious. Cool. He laughed a bit and shook his head, a hand resting comfortably on my shoulder.

"What about you?" he asked after a while of quiet thinking.

I shrugged.

"I always thought we'd have the choice to move on or not when we die. Does being half ghost make us so different that we won't get a choice?"

"That depends if humanity itself gets a choice. According to some religions, once you move on you've got two options: up or down, and usually you don't exactly get to choose on judgment day."

"Wow. That's happy." I said, deadpanned.

Vlad shrugged.

"It works for most people."

"What is 'moving on' anyways. Where do you actually go?" I scrunched up my face, going deeper and deeper into the unknown.

"That opens up so many ridiculous possibilities I can't even imagine discussing them all." Vlad scoffed.

"Well, what do you believe then?" I was curious.

"Personally, reincarnation makes much more sense to me, although that may be my mother coming out of me. I don't understand how others can live their lives as a test, hoping they'll make it to heaven instead of spending an eternity in hell. Frankly I just wouldn't want to deal with that stress. Besides," He casually threw an arm over my shoulder, a smile on his face as he held me close, "As my mother use to say, the Earth is a beautiful place. As for me, I wouldn't mind coming back and sharing it with you over and over again."

"Aww, that has to be the gushiest thing you've ever said." I smiled, giving him a quick hug while walking.

"Probably." he muttered darkly, looking slightly disgusted with himself.

"What do you think lies beyond death, Danny?" he asked.

"I think I have no idea." Vlad laughed at my answer, but there was no way I could possibly fathom what 'moving on' means. I don't really believe in anything anyways, so I don't exactly have anyone telling me what happens. I kind of like it that way though. I like surprises. That and I'm fifteen, so I don't really care.

"You don't have a set faith?" Vlad asked.

"Nope. My parents are your stereotypical scientists. Never took me and Jazz to church or anything. I don't really mind though. I like sleeping in on Sundays." I smiled, "All those religions sound too sci-fi for me anyways."

"Says the half ghost teenager." Vlad smirked, but curiously, it slowly fell, "We'll probably never know what truly lies beyond the Ghost zone until we experience it ourselves, but that won't happen for a long long long time."

There was something in his voice as he said that last sentence. It held a kind of sad, endless weight to it, but I didn't know what to make of it. And why did Vlad say so many "long"'s? Before I could ask him about it, he seemed to realize what he just said and quickly moved on. Suspicious.

"I suppose it doesn't really matter. Most people need a higher entity to believe in and I don't care if they keep their delusions as long as they leave me out of it. Whether you and I move on to heaven, hell, or the next life, it doesn't really matter. We can't stop it."

"Yep." I replied lightly, looking back out to the forest surrounding me.

"Hey, did you know that Sam is Jewish?" The sudden thought came to me and jumped out of my mouth.

"Daniel, why on earth would I know-or care-about that?"

"I dunno. You've always had a knack with knowing everything about me so I figured you probably knew all about my friends too."

"Not quite, dear boy. You're the only one I spend my valuable time on."

"You mean stalk."

He ruffled my hair and smirked, but didn't deny it. I laughed. The sunlight poured around us as it slipped out between the green leaves high above. We came to a large creek and a bridge. The bridge was a group of fallen trees tied together. We crossed it swiftly and moved on, the trees thinning and more grass popping up on the earth floor.

We didn't say very much anymore but it was okay. Vlad suddenly veered off the beaten path and lead me down a smaller trail; I willingly followed him. The foliage was thinning, leaving lonely trees here and there, all of them thick trunked and very old. There wasn't a whole lot of them and as we walked on, it dawned on me that the forest had slowly turned into a field of soft, fluttering green grass, large trees sporadically growing here and there. Their massive canopies provided the perfect shade, the grass the perfect bed.

"Whoa." I breathed, looking all around me and taking in the beauty of it.

The emerald grass was vibrant against the cool blue sky. Pearl white clouds floated in puffs in the air. The spontaneously placed trees sat on slight hills and dips in the land, their trunks thick and twisted. It looked like something from a picture book.

We walked over to a nearby tree and sat in it's shade, resting. Little flutters of sunlight sneaked it's way through the leaves there and there, reminding me of a disco ball. It was quiet, only the sounds of distant birds and singing winds reaching our ears in the secluded field. Vlad leaned back against the trunk, arm resting on his propped up knee as he looked of into the distance, a content smile on his face.

The scenery was affecting me as well, the surreal feel of it all making this moment dreamlike. It was calm here. There was nothing wrong and nothing but us. Vlad looked over to me and signaled for me to come closer. I happily obliged and settled comfortably in the open space between his legs, resting against his chest. He stroked my hair as we both stared out into the distance, neither of us wanting to break or leave this priceless moment. Everything just felt so...perfect. None of the worlds harshness could reach us here.

We didn't speak because we didn't need to. Somehow, were were in perfect sync with everything we felt. I looked up at him and met his lips, knowing they were going to be there. My hands glided up Vlad's chest as his moved smoothly down my back. I slowly turned around as Vlad laid me in the cool grass below him, our kiss never breaking. Like a dance, we moved fluidly, driven by more than just mere desire.

Vlad was above me, my hands blindly possessing his body. His hair was floating on the warm breeze and my fingers claimed it. I felt the skin of his fingers run up my chest and then back down, something desperate in the touch.

He deepened the kiss, holding me closer to him; my arms were already holding him tight. I felt his wet tongue slip into my mouth and I returned the gesture. There was a certain vulnerably between us here, I felt completely exposed before him. It was different than usual, trust had to be present, and it was, unbound and flowing.

I'm not sure when my shirt came off or when I unbuttoned his, but somehow it got that way and I was trailing light kissed up his chest, soon pressing my lips against his neck. Vlad moaned, holding my head with one hand and the small of my back with another. Then he was leaning back against the tree again and I was straddling his hips, my lips moving against his, my hands still possessing.

The kiss melted, Vlad moved down my jaw line and past my neck, kissing my chest sporadically as he leaned me back. His lips came back up, moving over my ear. I was clay in his hands, willing to do anything he wanted. His hot breath sent shivers of pleasure down my spine, his words doing worlds more.

"I love you, Danny." he whispered, nuzzling my hair.

I love you. I've always been taught that those are the three most intimate words that can be said to a person, and Vlad's said them to me twice now. Unfortunately, I wasn't good with words at times like these, even simple ones. The most I knew how to do was howl in pleasure. But I needed to tell him, to let him know.

He pulled me in for another kiss, his hands moving like water over the bare skin of my back. I clutched his loose blouse, deepening the kiss myself. His hands molded my chest flush against his, heat spreading between us. I broke the contact of our lips, moved my fingers through his hair and whispered,

"I love you, Vlad."

A wall that I didn't even know was between us fell away. With my proclamation, there was nothing between us anymore. In that moment we'd never been so open and vulnerable, and I loved it.

Vlad immediately pulled me into a very passionate kiss. The sun was high in the sky above us and the world moved on, but we stayed in our timeless, perfect, surreal bubble, reveling in the moment as everything was truly unbound.

XxX

Sweat poured down my bare back, my muscles were aching. My breathe was heavy, the soft mat under me provided no distraction. Vlad eyes bore into mine, his breathing labored as well. This momentary rest was nothing. I was sure, in seconds, we'd be back at it again.

Yep, we were training.

It had been several hours and one late lunch since our time spent beneath the tree. We were sparring again, as we had been for the past hour. Vlad wasn't as tired as I was, and the previous days work out was finally catching up to me. My limbs felt like total led.

A flash of intuition charged through me and I raised my arm in defense automatically, barely blocking Vlad's lighting attack. He smiled proudly.

"Your getting faster." he said, his voice steady.

But two seconds later he managed to flip me around and I was on my back, staring at his gloved fist.

"But your also getting very tired." He stood straight, turning around and removing his gloves.

"Hey, I can still fight!" I argued, forcing my dead legs up.

"I have no doubt of that Danny. You can make yourself do anything if you have enough will, but seeing as there no need to fight and the only result of continued sparring would be a torn muscle, I suggest we finish." he replied smartly, jumping over the boxing ring and leaning against a pole leisurely.

I huffed but saw the logic in his words, regretfully removing my own gloves and walking right through the ring, too tired to jump it. Vlad watched me, unexpectedly throwing a full bottle of water at my head. I caught it instinctively, not even looking at it. I'd been hit in the head one too many times to fall for that one ever again. He smiled, pleased, and headed for the door. I dragged myself after him, feeling heavier than ever.

"Ugh. I'm so tired." I gasped after downing half the water.

"And you wanted to keep sparring." Vlad muttered, shaking his head.

"I totally could have kept it up." I mumbled back.

"Yes, I know, but as I said before, the only result would be injury."

"But it'll heal by morning." I argued.

"You need to know your limits, Daniel." Vlad pulled his hair out of the pony tail and ran his fingers through it to get the tangles out. I watched, a random thought coming to me.

"How long did it take you to grow your hair that long?"

"About three years for the even length." Vlad took the random question in stride, pulling the silvery strands back and binding them again, breathing deeply and exhaling his fatigue away.

I yawned, trying to hide it and failing.

"I can't believe your this tired. You sleep more than a bear during hibernation." He lead the way to his room and I automatically followed, not even thinking about it.

I shrugged, hoping the nice shower would loosen up my stiff muscles.

"I probably shouldn't have been so insistent on practicing for four hours straight yesterday." I winced. "I'm finally starting to feel it."

Vlad laughed and we phased through the bedroom door, his elegant quarters laid out in front of us as if in waiting. He opened his windows and the French doors, letting the warm air float in and out. Another cool shower later and the setting sun was casting fiery rays across the furniture. I pulled on some comfortable pajamas and Vlad returned to those stupid dress pants.

"What day is it?" I asked, suddenly realizing that I had no clue.

"Wednesday." he answered lightly.

It bummed me out a bit that there were only two days till I had to leave, but remembering my waiting family uplifted my spirits.

"What are we going to tell them?" Vlad didn't have to ask who I talking about.

"I figured we'd just tell them it was a ghost. That wouldn't raise too many questions. We'll say I found you wandering through the woods and that you can't remember what happened."

"Convenient." I replied flatly, knowing the story was lame but not really caring. "My mom won't bite as fast as my dad will." I warned.

"What's she going to do? Call me a liar? I think, after missing you for two weeks, she'd take just about any answer from _anyone_, as long as you're safe."

"True." I agreed, hiding my guilt.

But Vlad, ever the master at reading emotions, held a softer look in his eye. He placed his hands square on my shoulders and kissed my forehead, giving me a reassuring smile before walking over to the couch. I watched him walk away, aware of the smile on my face and the warm glow in my heart. I followed after him.

"I suppose you don't mind if I play a bit?" He looked over his shoulder, picking up one of the violin cases.

"Not at all." I plopped down on the couch, waiting. I loved hearing him play.

Vlad set the hard case on one end of the couch and pulled out the same, dark wooded instrument, dragging the bow across the strings lightly. I listened as the sounds danced on the air, a smile slipping onto my face. He dove right into an energetic little tune, his fingers moving fluidly over the neck of the instrument, never breaking pace. I watched, amazed as always.

How long had it taken him to learn that? Years? Months? His hand seemed to have a mind of it's own, as if he'd been doing this all his life. It would probably take me years to learn the violin, much longer than I had in my life time.

The notes turned slow and long in the middle of the fast melody, infinitely stretching across time and space. It was one immortal line of music, sounding oddly melancholy and yet happy at once. I paused in my musings, listening to the important sounds until it finally changed, and my thoughts resumed.

Vlad was staring into the fireplace, not even concentrating on his jumping fingers, his mind else where too. I watched him, thinking. A year ago we were at each others throats, and now look at us. Well, I guess we still kinda are, just in a whole different way. I smirked to myself.

He stopped the quick warm-up tune and started playing something that sounded familiar, though I couldn't name it. It was something I used to hear when I was younger because Jazz played it all the time before she went to sleep. She always told me it made her smarter. I remember asking if I could listen to it too, but she had told me it didn't work for boys.

I smirked, thinking of the memory. I never understood why she liked it so much. It had always made me sad when I heard it and I used to have the irrational fear that it would somehow take her away in her sleep. Eventually Jazz had stopped listening to it, declaring herself "smart enough." I had been so relieved.

It's funny how I used to be so concerned for her and now it's the other way around. I mean, yeah I still worry about her, especially when she gets caught up in ghost fights, but it's different. Maybe we've both come to watch out for each other.

...I wonder...what she would say about...

I decided I didn't want to find out, instead transferring my thoughts to a more consuming topic to distract myself.

It wasn't difficult to come up with one. Vlad's comments during our walk were plenty enough to keep me thinking for hours. He had brought up several good points that I had never considered. What _was _going to happen to us after we die? I'd always assumed we'd go with everybody else after death, where ever the heck that was. But what if being half ghost means something different for us? I suppose our ghost halves already come from the Ghost zone, so are we already anchored to the restless world, doomed to wander through it forever? It would be horrible to be stuck in the Ghost zone for all time. I don't think I could handle an eternity of Skulker. Or Spectra. Or Walker. Especially the Box Ghost.

I can only hope that we'll get to move on like everybody else, no strings attached. Unfortunately that seems about as likely as Sam wearing pink. When it comes to ghosts, there's _always _some weird side effect or something.

I grumbled for a moment or two, blowing a stray hair out of my face. Vlad's playing slowly brought my mellow mood back, chasing away the grumpy thoughts.

Oddly enough, it was the subject of death that swallowed me in a serene state. Maybe it's because I'm fifteen and death is too far away for me to really worry about. All I have are speculations, and that's all I'm going to have for a long time, but it didn't bother me. All my time just left room for more speculations, leaving my hyperactive mind to run free.

I wonder why I didn't get ecto-ache. I didn't even get a single blemish, yet Vlad got an entire face full. Maybe it's because only his face was hit? But my entire body was caught in the blast and nothing bad has happened to me. I guess it was something that went wrong in the initial experiment or something. After all, it _was_the proto-portal. But still, it seems off. Vlad got ecto ache and ghost powers and I...just got ghost powers? That doesn't sound right.

Maybe it's another hidden side effect that will randomly pop up when I least expect it. Like in the middle of dinner. I hated all the side effects of being half ghost when they first started. First there was the month where I couldn't pick anything up. Then my clothes started falling off and I kept sinking through floors. The problems only increased when ghosts started popping up and mom and dad felt the need to ramp up their arsenal. Yes, the initial side effects of being half ghost did suck.

Luckily, this is all pointless speculation. I'm sure, after having my powers for almost a year and a half now, I'm done with the surprises. Except for the after death surprise, but that's a surprise for every one. I just hope nothing different happens to us just because we're half ghost. When your dead, your dead right? Everyone goes to the same place, right? So does it really matter if were already half way there?

A sudden thought occurred to me. A horrible, terrifying thought. I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. It's so obvious. If we're half ghost, and half our life is gone...then...

"Vlad." He stilled the music in the middle of a measure, looking up to meet my worried face with confusion. "Since we're half ghost, does that mean we're going to die soon?"

I watched him freeze for hardly a second, so fast that I barely caught it. He slowly lowered the delicate instrument, his expression hard to read.

"What makes you think that?" He asked calmly, not answering my question.

"Well, being half ghost means being half dead, right?" I'm such a ray of sunshine. "So, since part of us is already dead, wouldn't that cut our life span short?" I wished it made less sense. I'd never admit it, but the whole concept was starting to scare me. Was I even going to make it to 30?

"You would think so, wouldn't you." He said so very quietly, talking to himself. I furrowed my brow in confusion, but before I could ask him what he meant, he continued on.

"Think of it as..." he was choosing his words carefully. "As though part of us is...frozen. The half dead part isn't necessarily speeding things up, it's more...existing." I had more trouble than usual spotting it, but there was something nervous in his eyes.

"Do you understand?" he asked, his tone ever so slightly colored with apprehension.

He was hiding something from me.

"No." I replied, my suspicion slipping into my once worried tone.

He knew I was on to him. He took a moment to answer, debating what to say. His nervousness became more pronounced when he put the violin back in it's case and brushed invisible dirt from his immaculate shirt, all a temporary distraction.

"We aren't going to die soon." he assured me, and then paused again. "Our ghost halves won't accelerate death for our human halves."

"Why?" I frowned, not understanding.

"It's not very important, the point is-"

"Not important? Of course it's important." My frown deepening. Vlad started getting more agitated.

"It's not the point, Danny. All that matters is that our life span isn't cut short." He was still evading the explanation.

"Your hiding something from me." I stated bluntly, my eyes squinted slightly.

I had expected Vlad to get defensive or angry at my accusation. I didn't quite expect him to agree with me.

"How'd you know?" He asked in honest curiosity, an eye brow raised.

"I know how to read you better than most." I answered, a little smug. Hey, being able to read Vlad Masters is a serious accomplishment.

Vlad scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"Nonsense. If there's one thing I'm good at it's hiding my emotions. I'm simply more lax around you is all."

"Lax like you were about two minuets ago? Cause I gotta say, Vladdie, I could read you like a book." Okay, maybe more like a very fine printed business card, but whatever. "Now stop changing the subject. What are you hiding."

Vlad stared at me with a sort of defeated expression, sighing heavily. I waited for an answer and eventually he gave in, coming to sit next to me on the couch. The silence between us stretched on, Vlad's demeanor growing more melancholy by the second. I almost regretted asking, but he finally spoke up before I could say anything.

"Danny, have you ever wondered what it means to be half ghost?"

The question seemed kinda odd to me, but I went with it.

"Not really. Why?"

He was quiet again, choosing his words carefully.

"There are...certain side effects that aren't quite as apparent as dropping 32 beakers in one month." the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Hey, how did you know about that?" I furrowed my brows.

The weary look left slightly, only lingering in his eyes as he turned to face me with an amused smirk.

"Stalker, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Creep."

"Love you too, Danny." Vlad half-smiled, his tone playful, but weighted.

I smiled softly back at him, the firelight hiding my light blush as I automatically committed those words to memory. Three times.

The momentarily light air between us faded as he returned to his drawn expression, causing my own smile to slip away too.

"What is it Vlad?" I asked quietly, feeling an odd urge to whisper.

He breathed in slowly and exhaled, shifting and sitting up straighter.

"Being half ghost means being half dead." he stated in a business tone, "This affects every part of our being, right down to the cell count in our body. We have ectoplasm running through our veins just as we have blood cells. Ectoplasm isn't like oxygen carrying blood cells. Ghosts don't have a heart or body that needs oxygen. That's why you don't breathe when you're in your ghost form. Ectoplasm is an ever existing substance that carries energy through the body at a ceaseless rate. It's the ectoplasm that keeps ghosts 'alive' for practically an eternity, if not forever."

I listened intently, my nervous fear beginning to return.

"You were worried that we were going to die sooner because we are half dead, but it's the opposite. Since we have blood cells _and _ectoplasm in our veins," he hesitated for a moment, but plowed on. "We're going to live for at least a thousand years."

I felt like someone had just punched me in the stomach, sending me spiraling down into a deep, endless pool of impossibility. There was no freak'in way. It was impossible.

"That's-that's crazy. There has to be a mistake." I shook my head, unable to believe it.

Vlad looked at me mournfully and that was all the answer I needed.

"How the heck do you know? Where did that number even come from?" I demanded, hoping my questions would somehow disprove his words.

"It basically comes down to this." he explained. "It takes us twenty years to live 365 days, or one year for a normal person. Calculate that by seventy-five, the average life span, and you get over a thousand. Technically it's around one thousand five hundred." he winced.

It all sounded so practical, so simple. It was one big math problem. Except people don't just croak at seventy-five. Most live far beyond that, which means there's no telling how long we'll live. It's all about the numbers.

"This is impossible." I muttered, my frozen gaze locked into the fire, my body still numb.

Vlad was quite for a moment, until he spoke up with a lighter tone.

"It could be worse." I slowly grated my neck to give him a heavily disbelieving look.

"Initially, you were the one supposed to live for hundreds of years, not me."

I felt my heart start to accelerate, turning to stone. My chest was full of helium, making the room spin. He was lying. He had to be lying.

"Danny, calm down! I was just saying initially! Breathe, Daniel!" He shook my shoulders frantically.

I took a huge gulp of air, not realizing that I had stopped breathing. After several huge gasps I managed to send him a pained glare.

"How the hell was that supposed to cheer me up?" I coughed.

"Well I didn't expect you to take it so harshly. It's not like I was saying you _are _going to live hundreds of years without me. I said initially." he said, looking relieved that I was breathing again.

"Yeah, well that little word kinda slipped through at the "not me" part." I muttered, annoyed at my panic attack, "I swear if I was stuck living alone that long I'd go crazy." My heart rate was slowly decreasing, my tense body relaxing.

"Imagine actually thinking you were going to live hundreds of years alone for twenty years." Vlad said bitterly, causing me to still.

Oh. Ouch.

My pained empathy must have shown on my face, because Vlad smiled softly, the momentary dark cloud in his eye dissipating. We were quiet for a moment, giving me time to soak up the enormity of the situation. I was still so unreal to me.

"I don't understand." I began slowly, "Why was I supposed to live that long and not you?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I believe it has something to do with the amount of ectoplasm soaked up during our separate blasts. I was only hit in the face, receiving a smaller amount. You, on the other hand, were entirely consumed from within the portal, attracting much more ectoplasm into your body than I. I believe that explains why I only contracted ecto-acne, while you received a significantly longer life span."

"But...you have a significantly longer life span too, right?" I asked, clarifying.

"Yes, but that's not because of the accident. You see, when I first received my powers I spent ages studying them, and when I learned that ectoplasm cycles energy, I decided to test it out on myself to see if I could extend my life."

"Are you crazy?" My jaw dropped, "You didn't even know if it _would _extend your life? You could have killed yourself!"

Vlad shrugged.

"Perhaps." A mischievous grin wormed it's way on his face. "But I did just the opposite."

"You really are a fruitloop."

"I take chances I deem worth taking, and at the time, an extended life was worth it."

"Why?" I frowned.

Vlad shrugged again.

"I figured the longer life I had, the longer I could rule the world." he said, nonchalant.

I stared at him.

"Why do I even talk to you." I muttered, shaking my head.

"You do a lot more than 'talk', Danny." Vlad grinned, tousling my hair till I swatted his hand away.

"Yeah yeah, so how do you know it takes twenty years for us to live one normal year?" I asked, getting back on topic.

"Mathematics, my dear boy. Once I find the amount of ectoplasm per cubic centimeter in the blood stream, I can multiply that by-"

"Never mind. I don't wanna hear it." I interrupted him loudly. I hate math.

Vlad smirked, waiting for more questions.

"So, I'm guessing you injected yourself with ectoplasm-"

"Concentrated ectoplasm."

"Is there a difference?"

"Definitely. If I had injected myself with the normal ectoplasm from our ectoplasmic rays, for example, I would have killed myself." he informed.

"Oh. Well it's a good thing you didn't."

"Indeed." he agreed solemnly.

"So you extended your life by injecting _concentrated _ectoplasm into your blood stream, and miraculously, it's the same amount as mine? Wait, how do you even know how much ectoplasm I have per cubic-whatever in me?" I raised an eyebrow.

"I picked up some blood during one of our many fights." he said shamelessly, "And no, we don't _exactly _have the same amount of ectoplasm per cubic centimeter, but it's so close it has the same effect."

I nodded, not knowing what else to say. What do you say after learning your going to outlive your friends and family by hundreds of years? I guess the only reason I wasn't going insane was because at least I wouldn't be alone. But still...

"This kinda sucks." I managed to croak out.

Vlad smiled softly in understanding.

"Your right though." I looked up at him, "It could be worse. At least I'll always have you."

Vlad nodded, pulling me closer and leaning back into the couch. We sat in silence for a while. Vlad seemed relieved about something, probably that I finally knew about the whole longer life deal. He was smiling contentedly, stroking my hair at a steady pace.

"You know, we're actually only ten years apart." He said off handedly.

"What? How the heck does that one work out. Wait a minute, how old are you?" I looked up at him. Vlad gave me an impish smile.

"Well technically I'm 24..."

"No way." I grinned in half-disbelief, although it would explain a lot. No forty year old could have that kind of body.

"I am. The accident happened during my senior year of college, when I was 21. Then I spent three years studying my condition, and finally, at 24, I preformed the injection. Actually, I suppose I should be turning 25 hear soon."

"Aw man. That means I'm still fourteen." I sighed, bummed. I was gonna be 14 for the next 19 years. How messed up was that?

"Uh Vlad? What are we gonna tell my parents when I still look like a 14 year old in twenty years?"

"That, my boy, is up to you. Although I'm pretty sure keeping your secret will be rather difficult if you wish to stick to the truth."

"Crap." I smacked my hands over my eyes, dragging them down my face. I can just see the ecto-guns pointed at my head.

"Relax Danny. You don't really think they would hurt you, do you?"

"Maybe. I dunno. I'm an anomaly to their entire life's work. I'm afraid they'll forget that I'm also their son." I sighed forlornly.

"Nonsense. If I know your parents like I think I do, you'll be fine. Besides, I'd never let them hurt you." He assured me, kissing the crown of my head.

I gave a small smile and snuggled closer to Vlad's chest, thinking of all the things I'd have to deal with in years to come. Dash will never stop picking on me. I'll be puny till way past high school. I wonder if I'll be able to drive? Good thing I can fly. Ugh, no one is going to take me seriously till I look older, and that's not gonna happen for years. It's a good thing Sam's stopped growing. Tucker would never let me live it down if she got taller than me.

"Your taking this better than I thought you would." Vlad said quietly from above.

"I don't think it's completely sunk in yet." I shrugged.

"I don't think all the implications have quite sunk in yet." Vlad muttered.

"What'd you mean?"

"I'll know you've figured it out when you start hyperventilating." He said lightly, causing my brows to furrow in confusion. What was he talking about.

I shrugged again and snuggled closer to him, deciding not to worry about it for now. Vlad's lithe fingers were trailing over my hip, his thumb brushing the skin under my t-shirt. I casually threw one of my arms across his lap, a content smile humming on my lips. The good thing about living for so long was that I'd get to relax like this for years and years, and Vlad would be right there with me. Although it's gonna take years for me to get taller than Vlad, assuming I ever will. Bummer.

Wait a sec-

"I'm gonna go through puberty for 60 years!"

Vlad burst into laughter.

"Took you long enough!"

"This is _so _not funny!" I glowered, crossing my arms and turning to face him.

Vlad continued to laugh, clutching his stomach weakly.

"I cannot tell you how much I _don't _envy you." He grinned with mirth, wiping a fake tear away.

"Vlad, you're a jerk."

"Why are you blaming me? It's not my fault your voice will be cracking for the next 60 odd years. Technically, your father-"

"Don't even go there." I glared. Vlad smirked, but said no more, leaning back into the couch with a smile still on his face.

I continued to glower at the universe, pouting for all I was worth. This was so not fair. Stupid portal.

"Oh Daniel, stop moping. It could be worse. It could be eighty years." There was a laugh in his voice.

"Yeah Vlad, you're right, it _could _be eighty years!" I yelled. The fire was alight only by the intensity of my glare.

I felt a pair of hands wrap around my hips and pull me back, nestling them between the couch and Vlad. I was still pouting, my arms firmly crossed. Vlad hugged me closer, grinning as he planted a kiss on my protruding lip.

"You're so cute when your angry."

"So I've heard." I replied dryly.

Vlad leaned back into the couch and it wasn't long before I was leaning against him once more. I sighed dramatically, my arms finally unwinding and hanging limp.

"What a bummer." I grumbled.

"For you."

"Shut it."

I wasn't really angry though. Well, yeah, I was kinda annoyed about the whole puberty thing, but I couldn't stay mad in Vlad's presence for very long. I eventually got tired of keeping the whole act up and went back to snuggling to his chest, feeling the soft fabrics rub against my face. Vlad returned to stroking my hair, watching the dying embers.

It...it was painful to know that I'd live on to see my friends and family pass away. I've never experienced that sort of pain, and I don't think I could deal with it on my own. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have Vlad for the years to come.

"So what time am I leaving on Friday?" I asked, the thoughts of my family making me miss them more.

"I believe the best plan would be morning, or by how we've been waking up, noon. We shouldn't keep your family waiting."

"Vlad Masters, I think that is the most selfless thing you've ever said."

"I mean for you boy, not them. Personally, I'd prefer it if you never went home, but that wouldn't be in your best interest."

"Figures." I smirked.

Vlad didn't reply, but I looked up at him and he was smiling down at me, his blue eyes glinting in the meager light. I breathed deeply, returning my gaze to the red rocks buried under ash. My thoughts strayed to my family, mostly to my parents crying in the living room. It was better to leave early on Friday. Sam, Tucker, and Jazz will be happy.

"Hey, what time is it?"

Vlad glanced at his wrist watch.

"About 7 o'clock. Do you have to?" he asked reluctantly, already knowing why I was asking.

"Yes Vlad, I have to. And I gotta actually talk to them tonight, not blow them off for a hot billionaire. That makes me a bad friend."

"Only if they know." He grinned cattily, holding me a little tighter.

I rolled my eyes.

"We need to work on your morals Vlad." I mumbled, forcing myself up.

"Nonsense, we simply need to adjust yours." He stood, stretching his arms.

I called up my ghost form and all its ectoplasmic goodness, floating on the air and letting my spectral tail loose as usual. Vlad smirked smartly at me, transformed into Plasmius, and sunk through the floor. I dove after him, twisting through halls and flying through floors till I finally came back to the same computer room from last night.

"For a moment there I thought you got lost." Vlad quipped.

"Your mansion is ridiculously huge, you should be surprised I didn't discover Atlantis."

I floated over to the computer and fell into the chair, transforming as I did so.

"I suppose you don't need me to talk with your friends. I have the distinct feeling their uncomfortable with my presence." He said sarcastically from above me.

"Yeah, I get a similar feeling."

Vlad smiled, bringing his face closer to mine.

"Don't stay up too late." he warned.

"Are you going to drag be back to bed if I do?"

"Perhaps." he grinned mysteriously, kissing me good night.

When I opened my eyes he was gone, and it didn't take long for me to feel very lonely. The silence around me was compressing, broken only by the hum of the computer monitor. I quickly dragged open the web cam box, hoping the sight of my friends would chase away the emptiness.

It wasn't long before I had three familiar faces staring back at me.

"Danny!" they all grinned.

"Hi guys." I smiled.

"Good to see you again little bro." Jazz smiled.

"Where's Vlad?" Sam frowned.

"Upstairs. He figured you guys didn't like his presence too much."

"Maybe he's a genius after all." she muttered.

"So hows it go'in, dude?" Tucker piped in.

I shrugged.

"It's fine. Nothing too exciting."

"You're coming home Friday, right?" asked Jazz.

"Yep. Probably around noon."

"You better."

They were watching me with relief clear on their faces and it was starting to make me a little uncomfortable. That fact that I was worrying them was bad enough. Did they honestly think Vlad would hurt me? Well, I guess from their perspective, yes. Sam interrupted my thoughts.

"So, what'd you do today, Danny?" she asked.

"Not much. It was kind of a slow day. More training, went for a walk, not much."

"You went on a walk with Vlad?" Tucker asked in disbelief.

"Yup." I said shamelessly. There was nothing suspicious about a walk.

"Uh-huh. So how goes the make-Vlad-a-better-person-plan?" Sam asked, sounding unhopeful.

"Great. He's not so much of a fruitloop anymore. He even promised not to try and kill dad." I smiled.

"Really?" Jazz looked surprised.

"I guess that's a step." Sam said flatly.

"Unless he's lying." Tucker threw in.

"What happened with you all today?" I quickly asked, deterring them from expanding on Tuckers comment.

"School, Homework-you're gonna have a ton of makeup work when you get back by the way-the usual." Tucker replied.

"What! But I've been kidnapped! No way Lancer's gonna pile it on after that. I've gone through a traumatic experience!" I grinned.

"Oh yeah, so traumatic you wanted to go back for more." Sam rolled her eyes, but he bitterness in her voice was palpable.

I didn't know what to say to that, so I said nothing, feeling a little uncomfortable again.

"So why'd you really pick Vlad over your friends and family, Danny?" she asked suddenly, her voice sharp.

I winced inwardly, feeling low and wishing she wouldn't do this. She wouldn't understand.

"Sam." Tucker breathed, a little surprised by her tone.

Hard headed and stubborn as ever, she said nothing, continuing to glare at me. She's never glared at me like this before. I squirmed in my seat, wishing Vlad was behind me.

"Sam it's not like that." I started.

"Yes it is. Everyone is worried sick about you. Your parents are going crazy. Even Dash is a little depressed."

"Only cause his favorite punching bag is gone." I mumbled. She ignored me.

"Come on Danny, Vlad's not worth it."

I felt a swirl of anger at her words and barely restrained it. What did she know?

"Yes he is." I said icily, feeling my eyes glare neon green.

Sam looked as though she'd been smacked. Tucker and Jazz mirrored her surprised expression, blinking wide eyes. I realized my mistake and quickly felt my flare of anger extinguish. Jazz was giving me a funny look again.

"Sorry." I mumbled, ashamed.

They slowly came down from the high of surprise, resettling back into their usual cautious selves, although a slightly wary look still lingered in their eyes.

"Vlad really isn't all bad you know." I wanted them to understand this, but I wasn't sure if there was much hope.

"Danny, all he's done-"

"Yeah, I know. He's a fruitloop. Believe me, I remind him on a regular basis, and I'm not saying all of his nutty schemes in the past were okay. But people can change and Vlad _is_ a person, contrary to popular belief."

Sam and Tucker exchanged a glance from behind Jazz's back, still looking unsure. Jazz was trying to hid her worry. I got the feeling I was dooming myself to brainwashed in their eyes.

"He's teaching me stuff about my ghost powers."

"Yeah, I know. _Training_." Sam pursed her lips.

"Not only that, but other things. Things you wouldn't believe." I ignored Sam's tone.

"What'd you mean?" Tucker asked curiously.

"Okay, this is gonna sound crazy, but you know how my blood is a weird, greenish-red?"

Tucker and Sam nodded apprehensively. Jazz looked confused.

"In both your human and ghost form?"

"No, in my ghost form it's just green, but in my human form it's a mixture."

"A mixture of what?" She asked.

"Ectoplasm."

The looked at me blankly.

"Right. Ectoplasm is what keeps a ghost alive for almost an eternity, if not, an eternity. It like, cycles energy or something." I added flippantly.

A look of growing horror was passing over Jazz's face. It was easy for her to put two and two together.

"Danny," she breathed, "Are you saying..."

"Kinda. I'm not gonna live forever or anything, just for a really really long time."

Their jaws hit the floor, an odd squawk of disbelief emitting from Tuckers throat.

"No way." Sam shook her head.

"How...how long in a really really long time?" Jazz asked, her voice shaking.

"Over a thousand." I winced.

"WHAT!"

"Danny, this is crazy, it can't be true."

"Come on dude. Seriously?"

"Who told you this? Wait, it was Vlad, wasn't it? He's got to be lying."

"This is just too crazy."

"Guys!" I yelled, bringing them back to earth.

They settled down, all three of them looking at me with heavy disbelief in their eyes, refusing to accept it.

"I'm not kidding." I said simply, my tone dead serious.

I met their suspicious glares, watching each one widen in horror as it slowly sunk in that I was telling the truth.

"But...but he could be lying." Sam tried.

"Trust me. He's not."

"How do you know?" Jazz asked.

I didn't reply, not wanting to remind her that I trusted Vlad. I think she remembered though.

"The way it works," I began, "Is that I'm gonna age one year for every twenty it takes you guys."

"WHAT!"

"I'm going to be 14 for the next nineteen years, and then I'll be fifteen for twenty years and then sixteen and so on." I continued as though they hadn't interrupted.

They stared at me with horrified faces, totally silent. I stared calmly back, feeling sadness as I watched them figure out all the problems this was going to cause.

"How are we going to explain you looking like a fourteen year old in twenty years?" Tucker asked.

"Probably the truth. I couldn't keep my ghost half a secret forever anyways."

"You're gonna tell everybody?" he gaped.

"Of course not, just my parents. Everyone else can think I have some weird growth deficiency for all I care." I shrugged.

There was quiet until Sam spoke up, her voice smaller than I've ever heard.

"Your going to out live all of us, Danny." Sam said quietly. "I'm going to be fifty and you...your still going to be a teenager." She sounded unbelievably depressed, weighed down by anguish.

I watched her fall into herself, not understanding why she was taking this so badly. Tucker and Jazz weren't. But still, I felt my guilt triple, wishing I had never told them. Tucker was shaking his head, muttering "clueless."

"Why are you so calm about this, Danny?" Jazz asked, looking confused herself.

I grimaced slightly, wondering how they'd take this. I didn't really want to tell them, worried that Sam might fall apart, but I couldn't lie to them anymore than I already have.

"Well," I began hesitantly, "I'm not exactly going to be alone for all the hundreds of years I'll be alive."

I watched Jazz's eye narrow into slits.

"Uh...yeah, Vlad doesn't age like normal either." I spit it out in a jumble, watching them all snap their head up at me.

"Your kidding." Sam said in an icy voice, her previous depression replaced by hard anger. "You're going to be alone, for hundreds of years, with nothing but that fruitloop for company?"

They all seemed unnaturally angry, like they were blaming this on Vlad or something. I narrowed my own eyes.

"Look, it's not like this is Vlad's fault."

"I'll bet you he planned this. It's way too convenient to be chance." Sam said heatedly. I raised an eye brow at her.

"How could he plan me getting ghost powers? He didn't even know about me till the reunion."

Sam simmered, Tucker looked between me and Sam nervously, trying to keep an all out fight from exploding.

"Well, your coming home in one day, so then this'll all be over." he smiled painfully.

"No it won't. It won't be over for the next thousand years. And then...then..." Sam's anger rapidly fell, the aching sadness washing over her again. I was a little dizzy at the rapid change of emotion. "Then we won't be there to help him." she whispered.

An thick silence settled between us all, misery clinging to their forms. I wanted to tell them not to worry about me. I wanted to tell them that Vlad would take care of me. But that was out of the question. Instead we sat there, awkward and distant, not talking to one another. I didn't want to leave them like this.

I met a glance from Jazz and for a split second I thought she was going to say something, but then she settled back into the silence without a word.

It was constricting. I searched for anything that would crack a smile or two out of them, wanting to see them happy again, but I couldn't come up with anything.

"Guys. I'm sorry about all this." I forced out, not knowing what else to say.

Tucker shrugged, but that was all the reaction I got.

"You will be home on Friday though, right?"

"I promise."

He nodded, brushing a thumb over the screen of his PDA. I searched for a topic of conversation, settling on the stupidest one because it was the only thing I could think of.

"So...when you say I have a lot of homework to catch up on..." I trailed off, hoping one of them would pick up.

Like a savior, Tucker looked up at me with a smirk, giving me a look.

"That bad?"

"Totally."

I groaned.

"And don't even get me started on the Math load." Tucker grinned.

It was slow, ungodly slow, but eventually Sam and Jazz started to unwind from all the bad news and bitter feelings, returning to their usual selves. I listened to them talk and asked as many questions as possible, wanting to know how the town was doing and how many detentions Lancer's assigned. The Danny Phantom store wasn't doing so hot because of the lack of ghosts, but that would quickly change by Friday. The Mayor had been sick with the flu when he went to visit the elementary school and had caused the entire fifth grade to turn into puking little snot monsters. Sam demanded that we go see the new Nightmarica movie coming out, conveniently, this Friday. Jazz told me the first I was to do upon returning home was clean my room. I told her she was crazy.

I lost track of time, listening to my friends talk and subtly evading questions about my life at Vlad's. It almost felt like we were back together, except for the fact that we were talking through a computer screen. It wasn't until I looked at the clock that I was truly brought back to reality.

"What's wrong Danny?" Tucker asked in response to my gasp.

"It's almost ten o'clock!"

"Wow, it got late fast." Sam commented.

"Mom and Dad are gonna be worried sick. I gotta get home." Jazz stood from the chair, looking sad about having to leave.

"I'll see you on Friday, little brother."

"Night Jazz." I called to her as she left Tucker's room.

"I'm gonna head off to bed too. It's late." I yawned, wondering if Vlad was still awake.

"Alright." they sounded kinda glum, but tired themselves.

After a few good-night's and several clicks later, the computer was shut down and my friends were off to bed. I stood from the chair, stretching my used muscles and sighing into the silence. The window was dark, little stars poking out of the blackness. I watched them twinkle for a moment before letting a pair of bright, white rings slid over me.

If the air was chilly, I didn't feel it. Almost casually, I floated through the large, silent castle. The rooms were dark and not a sound was heard as I made my way to Vlad's room. It was strange, being in such an enormous place and not hearing anything.

The ornate doors soon came into my line of vision and I floated through them, making sure to be extra silent. Vlad's room was open to the elements, the French doors to the porch wide open. A breeze was floating in, causing the thin, transparent curtain around the doors to billow like a ghost. The fire was completely out, not even a whisper of smoke trailing up from the ash.

My eyes were drawn to the monstrous bed, where I found Vlad's sleeping figure lying beneath the silk sheets. Curiosity took over, and I floated like a timid water snake to his unconscious form, barely a breath above him. He was calm in his sleep, yet he still managed to retain that dignified air about him. His silver hair was glowing in the moon light, and I couldn't stop myself as I reached out to touch it, half expecting it to fade away like a dream. The strands matched the gloves of my ghost form perfectly, blending together until they were indistinguishable from one another.

A thought crossed my mind that this was kinda creepy, but I'm sure Vlad's done this with me plenty of times so it's not like he can complain if he happens to wake up.

Sighing quietly, I twisted in the air and touched back down to the floor, letting the rings pass over me quickly as I shifted back into Fenton. Vlad's eyebrows twitched from the light and he rolled over, mumbling something. I held back a laugh, pulling my shirt over my head and slipping my pants off. Just because I'm wearing pajamas doesn't mean I actually sleep in them.

Tentatively, I crawled onto the bed, watching Vlad for any signs that I was disturbing him. He slept peacefully though, even as I crawled over to his front and slipped under his arms. He mumbled something else and his arms tightened around me, holding me closer. I smiled, kissing his chest and resting my head against his skin. It wasn't long before I was out like a light.

* * *

Ugh. I fell Vlad is going OOC. Crap.


	13. Chapter 13

Ha-HA! _This _is the one all you horny bastards have been waiting for! =D

Hopefully you will enjoy.

* * *

Vlad PoV

* * *

Soft hair was tickling my nose. A lithe body, that wasn't there when I fell asleep, was curled up in my arms, breathing softly against my chest. In my sleep filled haze, I ran a hand up his back leisurely, coming to a stop at his head and holding him close.

The near silence of the morning came through the open doors, whispering against my ears. The day was windy, white clouds covering most of the sky. I laid in the bed, playing with Danny's hair as I slowly woke up. How did he manage to slip into my arms without waking me?

I glanced at the clock, satisfied with the time. It was only 9:30 in the morning. Perhaps I should wake Danny? How late was he up though? Yawning tiredly, I leaned back into the pillows and dug under the covers, feeling lethargic. Danny sighed and shifted in his sleep, an arm sliding over my abdomen. I smiled at him, holding his hand as he slept on. As usual, my mind wandered in the stillness of the morning, leaving me to my brief thoughts.

It's a relief that Danny took the news of his longer life so well yesterday. I'd been worried that he'd fall into a pit of depression after learning he was going to outlive his friends and family. Could it be that I'm really a strong enough anchor against such a thing?

Another yawn over took me, and I stretched my back slightly. Danny continued to sleep like a log, and I had to smirk at him. I wonder what we shall do today, our last day together. As big as my mansion is, there's only so much one can do in it. Danny's been cooped up in here for two weeks now. Perhaps he would enjoy a trip to the city? I'm confident no one would notice him. Who would notice a missing boy from Amity Park all the way in Wisconsin?

The sun slid out from behind a hole in the clouds and fell across Danny's eyes. The disturbed teen mumbled something incoherent and buried his face in the pillows, looking irritated. I laughed at him and poked him in the side. He batted my hand away, groaning tiredly.

If we were going to take a trip to the city today, we couldn't possible sleep in till noon. I poked him in the side again, a little harder.

"Go 'way Jazz." He grumbled.

"Not quite, my boy. Now get up." How he could ever mistake me for Jasmine I'll never know, even if he is practically asleep.

"Mmm?"

"Your not sleeping in till 12 again, so get up or I'm throwing you in the pool." I poked him in the side again.

He groaned and rolled over, dragging the sheets over his head and cementing his face to the pillow.

"Alright, but I did warn you." I grinned, a malicious tint in my voice.

Black rings surrounded me and split in two, traveling the length of my body and transforming me into my second half. I floated in the air and hovered above Danny, taking a moment to smile at his innocent, unsuspecting slumber before taking him into my arms.

"Mmm...wha-" He opened one eye blearily as a pink mist swirled around us. I think he just caught my malicious smirk before we winked out of existence and teleported into the blustery day.

Danny had about two seconds to process what was going on before I dumped him into the cold water.

"Vlad wait!"

He yelped as the cold water consumed him, the splash echoing with my laugh. Danny broke the surface haphazardly, spewing water and coughing loudly. My laughs increased at the murderous look on his face, so much so that I had to clutch my gut in the air.

"Jesus Christ Vlad! Could you have at least waited until I put some clothes on!" he yelled in a blush, throwing his arm in the air.

"But that's part of why it's so funny." I laughed, looking down at his naked form, half concealed by water.

"Oh, I'll show you funny." he mumbled, the sudden vengeful smirk matching the glint in his eyes.

In a matter of seconds he transformed into Phantom and dove at me. Before I could blink, I was hurled toward the pool, splashing into the chilly water with a yell. I fumbled for a second or two in the muffled silence of the water, breaking the surface with a glare of my own.

"Ha. Payback's a bi-"

"Daniel, so help me if you finish that sentence." I warned, probably looking completely ridiculous as water dipped down my face.

He grinned at me playfully and flew through the wall of the castle, his once irritated feelings obviously gone with the satisfaction of revenge. I thought that was the end of our exciting morning, but then Danny poked his head back through the wall of the castle, his mischievous grin still present.

"Bitch."

"Daniel!"

Laughing impishly, he disappeared back into the castle and I didn't hesitate to give chase. The water flew off my clothes from the speeds that I chased Danny all through my mansion. His cackling gave way to his position and lead me to him, but every time I spotted him he'd dive through a wall and disappear. Huffing angrily, I flew after him, determined to win this game of cat and mouse.

I heard a light laugh to my right, and whirled around to see an empty hallway. A slight rush of wind flew past me as an invisible Danny zipped away. I covered myself with invisibility as well, and chased after him, keeping a sharp ear out for every misplaced sound. He gave himself away with minuscule signs, giving me a trail to follow without his knowing.

Fortunately, he had about as much patience as me, and when I didn't appear again, he let his cover fall, looking around a seemingly empty room in confusion.

"Where'd he go?" He murmured, scratching his head.

"Behind you." I smirked, plucking him out of the air and teleporting faster than he could get away.

"Hey!"

We appeared back in the bedroom; the bed was already made, a testament to my maid's swiftness. Danny struggled weakly in my arms and I dropped him to the bed, crinkling the pristine comforter.

"Your such a five year old." I smirked, looking down as his offended expression with humor.

"I am not!" He yelled indignantly, only to realize he had just proved my point and promptly shut up, a furious blush on his cheeks again.

I laughed, leaning down to place a light kiss on his pouting lips. But they were much to tempting, and I soon found myself floating down to the bed. Or was Danny pulling me? The mattress gave way as I knelt over him, his ghostly form cool against my chest. He pressed against me slightly when I bit his lip, gloved hands clutching my cape as my hands ran up his chest. I slid my tongue into his mouth, hearing him moan and feel his arms twist around my neck.

"You know," I breathed between kisses, "We haven't...even had breakfast yet."

"Who cares? he whispered back, his soft face so close to mine.

"Apparently not you." I chuckled, nuzzling his neck with a smile.

He mumbled something incoherent, pressing his lips against mine and quickly distracting me from any and all thoughts. We laid there on the bed for what seemed like ages, his little body pressed against mine. Whispered sound made it to my ears, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine.

"Hey Vlad." he breathed, tone hushed.

"Hmm?" I loved hearing my name on his lips.

"You smell like chlorine."

I froze, pulled away, and stared at him.

"You really know how to kill a moment, don't you." I said, deadpanned.

He burst into laughter, eyes alight with mirth. I sat up, straddling his hips and crossing my arms, attempting to keep up a glare but unable to do it. I couldn't be mad at him with a laugh like that.

"If I do recall," I drawled, getting close to his grinning face, "It was you who ended up in the pool first, stark naked, might I add." He scowled at my smirk.

"Yeah. But then I got you back."

"If you insist." I rose an eyebrow disbelievingly, knowing it would irritate him.

"Hey, I totally did."

"Of course." I replied sarcastically.

"I did!"

"Mhmm."

"Your just doing this to annoy me, aren't you." he said flatly, finally catching on.

I smirked condescendingly just for him.

"Duh."

Danny scowled again, his bottom lip sticking out in that adorable way he does. My smirk relaxed and I kissed him one last time.

"Let's go, water boy. You need a shower."

"_I _need a shower?"

I rolled my eyes skyward and floated off the bed, Danny scrambling after me. The shower didn't last too long, all things considered. It didn't take long until we were freshly clothed and clean, although there was a slight hindrance.

"Come on."

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"But you look _gorgeous _in them."

"What are you? A fashion designer? It's impossible to look attractive in blue jeans, Daniel."

"I resent that."

"I'm not wearing them."

"But you did yesterday."

"We went walking in the woods, of course I couldn't wear normal dress pants."

"_Please_?"

"Don't you use that face on me."

"Come on Vlad. Their just jeans."

"Exactly, their just jeans. Now stop looking at me like that."

"For me?"

"...no."

…

…

…

"Daniel. Daniel don't-stop looking-Fine! I'll wear the stupid jeans!"

"Victory!"

"Your completely ridiculous."

Thus, I walked down the grand staircase clad in simple blue jeans and a random shirt while Danny skipped happily beside me, completely indifferent to my disgruntled demeanor.

"They're uncomfortable." I grumbled.

"No, they're not. Stop complaining." Danny said flippantly.

"And how do you know they're not uncomfortable?"

"Because you wore jeans yesterday-willingly, might I add-and didn't complain once."

"...This is a different pair."

"Oh would you just give up already?"

I scowled at him as he laughed, practically floating through the kitchen doors with a sly smirk on his face. I followed after him, letting my amusement show through as I watched him bounce around the kitchen, humming a random tune. I leaned against the door frame, watching him pull out a bowl and spoon from the cabinets as though he lived here everyday.

"Vlad, what are you smiling at?" Danny asked warily, slowing down his dance for breakfast.

"Do I have to be planing something when I smile at you?" I snorted, wondering if I should be offended.

"No." he smiled lightly, returning to look for cereal.

I pulled myself from the wall and leisurely walked over to him, ruffling his hair as he dodged for the fridge.

"So what are we gonna do today?" He asked lightly, drowning his cheerios in milk, honey, and sugar.

"I had considered taking a trip into city." I suggested, gaging his reaction.

"Really?" he blinked, looking excited, until his face fell. "But what if someone notices me?"

"I doubt any will. Who would notice a missing boy all the way from Amity Park? We're an entire state away. Besides, even if someone does we can always disappear before there's a scene." I shrugged, pulling out fruit from the fridge and finding a knife.

"True." he agreed thoughtfully, taking a bite of honey and sugar.

"Would you like to take a tour of the city?" I asked.

"Sure." he smiled. "When do we leave?"

"After breakfast. There is much to do there and I'd like to be home before dark."

"Awesome." he nodded and returned to his food, only to stop and look up at me with a teasing grin. I paused from cutting my fruit and looked at him curiously.

"So this is why you threw a fit over the jeans."

"I beg your pardon, but I did not 'throw a fit', as you say." I scowled. "Forgive me for wanting to look presentable in public. I am Vlad Masters after all."

"Which reminds me, how are you going to explain my presence with the great Vlad Masters?"

"Simple. I'll just tell them your my nephew."

"If your so famous, don't people know, like, everything about you? Surely they know you were an only child."

"I keep my childhood very secret."

"Why?" He looked confused.

"Because if I didn't I would no doubt have to speak with my father at some point. The public is all about family bonding now days, so if they knew I couldn't stand the sight of him, well it just wouldn't look good." I explained quickly, wanting to get on another topic.

"Uh-huh." Danny said slowly.

"We'll be taking one of my private cars. It'll attract less attention. I should warn you about the paparazzi, though. They can get quite annoying some times."

"You can drive?" he sounded surprised.

"Daniel, I'm supposed to be 42. Of course I can drive." I sat at the table next to him, picking through my bowl of sliced fruit.

Danny peaked into the bowl and made a face.

"You eat weird." he sniffed.

"I eat healthy, unlike you." I rose an eyebrow at his honey and sugar concoction, grimacing.

"But this stuff is delicious." he smiled, swallowing another spoonful.

"I'll bet you've never even tried some of this fruit."

"Of course I have."

"Oh really? Here, try this." I held out a piece of yellow fruit to him on a gleaming fork.

"It's just a funny shaped pineapple." He scrunched up his nose.

"Actually, it's star fruit, now try it."

Danny eyed the healthy food evil and hesitantly took a bite, looking thoughtful for a moment before shrugging.

"It's okay."

"Tch." I returned my fork to the bowl, stabbing a strawberry. "It's infinitely better than that." I said scathingly, pointing to the sticky mess he was devouring.

"To each his own, Vladdie." Danny smirked.

I gave the concoction one last grimace and returned to my bowl, refusing to try and reason with him. Danny happily munched on his food, humming again. I shook my head and plopped a grape in my mouth.

"So what is there to do in the city?" he asked, making conversation.

"In the nicer parts of the city, there are numerous little shops that I believe you'd like very much. Not to mention the feel of the place. Even though you're in a big city, it feels as though you're walking through a small, cozy town. The architecture on some of the buildings is quite a relief to the usual concrete slabs one normally sees."

"Sounds like fun." he smiled.

"Indeed it is."

"Sam's always hated the corporate buildings in the city. Something about dead creativity and no effort for expression." Danny shrugged.

"Hm." I frowned, "Well you can tell Miss Manson that corporate buildings express themselves through their products. Although she might decide that's all propaganda."

"She will." Danny nodded, an amused smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

I didn't say anything to that, knowing if I did it probably wouldn't be very polite. From what I've gathered by Daniel's description of his goth friend, she's nothing more than an uneducated and opinionated teenager. How he could stand to be around someone like that I'll never know.

Breakfast was soon finished after that. We left our dishes in the sink and, after a quick glass of water, we were on our way up the stairs to get ready to leave.

"It's kinda cold outside." Danny commented at we stepped into my room. He was looking out the window thoughtfully, "You know, I don't have any money or anything."

"No money?" I looked back at him sarcastically. "Already gone through all the vases, hmm?"

He scowled at me, a tinge of red on his face.

"Wasn't stealing." he mumbled, almost indistinguishably.

"Of course it wasn't. Anyways, money isn't an issue, or have you forgotten that I'm a billionaire?" I drawled, opening the closet doors.

After a moment of shifting through the hanging clothes, I came across a simple brown jacket. It was lightweight and perfect for the windy weather.

"Let me guess," Danny popped up from behind me. "You've randomly got a jacket that fits me perfectly in here."

I grinned shamelessly down at him and pulled out a black jacket, the sleeves and stitches outlined in white.

"That's either really creepy or really...no, it's just creepy." Danny shrugged, laughing playfully.

"We'll see how you feel when your shivering with cold out on the streets." I threw the jacket over his head.

He peaked out from under the material with a smile, looking adorable. I leaned down and kissed him lightly.

"Need anything else?" I asked smoothly.

"I can think of a few things." he gave me a rather sultry look.

I grinned but stood straight again. Danny looked back around the closest.

"Actually," he laughed a bit, "I could use a scarf. I always get really cold at the slightest wind chill."

"Do you?" I pondered that for moment, wondering why before reaching up and handing him a long scarf. "I suppose that swim you took this morning must have been a little icy." I teased.

"Well jeez Vlad, I don't know, why don't you tell me?" he shot back, wrapping the long cloth around his neck and pulling the jacket on, the material hugging his chest and shoulders.

"Touche."

I opened a small brown box sitting on my desk and placed the wad of twenties in my wallet. Once Danny was finished lacing up his converse, we both transformed into our ghostly egos and melted through the floor. I led Danny through the twisted castle and into an underground garage. It was massive, lit up with UV lights that caused every vehicle present to shine. His eyes bulged and he froze in the air, looking at the expanse of cars resting on the cement floor.

"Whoa." He breathed.

I turned around and looked at him with a humored smirk. His eyes were jumping to every gleaming car in the garage, itching to get a closer look.

"Come along Daniel. We can't float here all day." I called to him, my voice echoing.

Danny slowly came out of his revere, flying after me blindly as he continued to look at the many cars. Sighing, I took his limp wrist and dragged him down, knowing he'd fly into a wall if I didn't lead him. We landed in front of a plain black Volvo, the most inconspicuous car I had.

"Aww, can't we take the Ferrari?" Danny looked wistfully to the fire red car sitting next to us.

"Sorry love, can't attract _too _much attention." I let the black rings cross over me, returning me to my human form.

Danny sighed sadly but then perked up, flying through me and the car door. A dim flash of light through the tinted windows alerted me to his transformation and when I opened the smooth black door I found Danny Fenton sitting in the passenger seat, looked around in awe.

"This car is awesome."

"Yes, it is." I agreed, sliding in fluidly and pulling the door shut.

Danny watched me curiously as I started the the car, the engine revving for a moment as I tested the gas. With the click of a button the hidden garage door rose open, letting the bright light of the outside world into the concrete room.

"It's kinda weird seeing you drive." Danny commented.

"Oh? And why's that?"

"I dunno, I've guess I've never thought of you doing something so normal." he said, shrugging.

"Hm." I sniffed. "I'm not sure if I should feel offended by that or not."

Without warning and in a matter of seconds, I had the car in gear and pealing out of the garage, the speedometer rising quickly as I pressed on the gas.

"Okay, perhaps I should have asked a different question. Do you know how to drive _legally_?" Danny asked, clutching the black leather of the seat.

I flashed him a smile and pressed the gas harder, flying past 70 on the country road.

"I find speed limits irritating. Besides, even if we do crash it's not like we'll get hurt."

"I'm more worried about the car to tell you the truth." Danny eyed the speedometer as it neared 90.

"Don't worry, I won't go past 100." I sighed. He was ruining my fun.

"What if you get a ticket?"

"I won't."

"But what if you do?"

"Then I turn the car invisible and make a speedy get away. I'm telling you, you have nothing to worry about. I'm a perfectly safe driver." I looked away from the road pointedly and smiled at him.

"Your a complete fruitloop." Danny mumbled as he snapped on his seat belt, "I don't know whose worse. You or my dad."

"Please." I rolled my eyes, "There isn't even a comparison."

"Says you." he mumbled.

However, after so long of remaining tense with no obvious threat, he finally relaxed enough to enjoy the ride. The trees that flew past the windows were nothing more than a dark green blur. At the speed I was driving, it didn't take long until we broke through the forest road and sped onto the highway, heading for the city.

"How do you get out of having bodyguards?" Danny asked randomly, taking his eyes away from the window and looking up at me.

"I'm my own boss. If I don't want bodyguards, I don't have bodyguards, no matter how much people complain. Personally, I think I can take care of myself just fine. What do you think?" I looked over at him with a knowing smirk, which Danny returned.

"I dunno Vlad. I've heard of a few occasions where a teenager kicked your butt." He leaned back in his seat, looking smug.

"If I recall, said teenager needed extra help, and even then most of the time it was through sheer dumb luck that he won."

"Your just annoyed that I beat you."

"You didn't beat me."

"Oh that's right, karma beat you."

"Do you want me to go past 150?" I rose an eyebrow at him, pressing on the gas and slipping past 100 on the speedometer.

"Hey, you said you'd stay under 100." Danny scowled.

"So I did." I gave a relenting sigh and decreased my speed to about 98. Danny huffed angrily, but sat back in his seat, eying the cars around us nervously.

"I'm not going to crash." I reminded him with a chuckle.

"Mhm. Sure."

The exit ramp was in sight, unfortunately I'd been a little distracted talking with Danny, and we were probably going to miss it unless I pulled a few driving cheats.

"Hold on just for a moment, Danny." I said in a cheerful voice, pressing on the gas and accelerating drastically to get in line with the middle of the semi-truck about to block our exit.

"Vlad, what the hell are you doing?" Danny asked slowly as I inched the car closer to the monstrous vehicle, close enough that Danny could probably touch it if he reached out the window.

"Getting off the exit ramp." I explained lightly.

"How on earth-"

Before he finished his sentence I turned the car intangible, taking us with it. Danny gasped, clutching the transparent seat and tensing. Without hesitation I turned the wheel and passed through the semi, half under it and half through it. We received a ten second glance of the semi's cargo before we returned to the outside world. I fell behind an approaching car and furtively returned the car to normal. I think I could hear Danny's heart pounding.

"Don't you _ever _do that again!" He yelled, taking deep breathes and still clutching the seat like a wet cat.

"Oh come now," I chuckled. "It's not like you haven't gone intangible while moving at great speeds before."

"Yeah, when I'm a _ghost_. Not during a supposed-to-be normal car ride. Jeez, that was the weirdest thing I've ever experienced." He shivered, slowly peeling his hands from the seat.

I sat back and listened to him continue with amusement, driving at a more conservative speed as we approached the best part of the city.

"It was like watching and expecting a car crash and then watching as the car crash didn't happen. It was just..._weird_. And don't you ever do it again!" he finished vehemently, pointing a finger at me.

"Well I had to get off the ramp somehow. Otherwise we would have had to back track and waste time." I explained, my reasoning sound.

"Wow, wasting a whole ten minutes. Tragedy." he mumbled, eyes finally catching sight of the view out the window, "Oh hey, were here." he said lightly.

"Almost. We need to find a parking garage first, preferably a clean one." I looked around the streets, trying to spy a quality parking garage nearby.

It was difficult to find, but we eventually came across one that was good enough. I was a little hesitant at first because it was rather close to a more violent part of the city, but Danny was itching to explore so I paid the three dollar fee. I suppose I could always get a new Volvo if it got scratched. Or maim the one who dares scratch it.

Finding an empty parking space was like trying to teach Jack algebra, but after much searching and climbing multiple levels, we came across a little spot hidden away nicely in a corner. The moment I cut the engine, Danny was bouncing out of the car, looking ready to fly out the open space surrounding the garage.

"Good heavens Daniel, perhaps you put too much sugar in your cereal this morning?" I questioned, locking the door and placing the keys in my jacket pocket.

"Dude, I haven't been out of that mansion in _ages_." Danny explained, taking my hand and practically dragging me to the elevator.

He jammed his fist into the button and instantly started pelting me with questions about the city. Where are we going first? How late are the shops open? Is it all stores, or is there a park nearby? Will it be crowded? Are we going to eat lunch here? How late are we staying?

I'm quite certain he was driving the other passengers in the elevator batty, but I patiently answered every question he asked, loving his inquisitive nature.

"We'll have to walk a couple blocks or so before we get to the more exciting shops. This parking garage is a bit far." I informed him.

"That's cool. More time to see everything." he smiled, buttoning up his jacket when we exited the elevator. I was quite right when guessing his size. The jacket fit in all the right places.

I was tempted to hold his hand as we walked along the side walk because I was slightly afraid he was going to run into a pole or in front of a car during his excitement. Danny was full of smiles as he took in the filth of the city, finding everything from the massive sky scrapers to the bubblegum wrappers interesting.

"But you live in a city. I don't understand why this place is so exciting." I asked, watching him stand on a bench and look far out into the maze of streets and honking cars.

"Yeah, but Amity Park isn't nearly as big as this place, and it's way different here. For starters, there isn't ghost-safety posters on every corner." Danny rolled his eyes, jumping down from the bench and following after me.

"True. But it's still just a city."

"I like the city. It's exciting." he grinned.

"More like obscene." I mumbled as we passed an obese woman showing off way too much skin.

Danny laughed into his hand next to me, eyes alight with humor.

"Oh my gosh! It's Vlad Masters!" Someone squealed.

I automatically cringed, feeling instinct reach out for my invisibility and just barely repressing it. _This _is why I'm not quite the city person Danny is. Several lights flashed as the pictures began.

"Come along Danny, we better disappear before it gets too crowded." I whispered in his ear, taking his arm gently and pulling him into a random store before more people started screaming.

Luckily, we jumped into a consignment shop full of ancient clothes. We crouched behind a set of musty tweed suits and phased through the wall, coming out invisible on the other side. I took Danny's hand so he wouldn't loose me, and lead him through the oblivious crowds. Occasionally a person would look at the space behind us, wondering who bumped their shoulder, but by then we'd be far ahead.

Soon we came to a more upscale part of the city, were almost everyone had above average wealth and usually more common sense. I had a better chance of being recognized here, but at least most people wouldn't idiotically scream my name. I led Danny into a small alley way and let the invisibility cover fall. He was looking at me with mirth, the humor still in his eyes.

"Does that happen often?"

"More than you know." I said darkly.

"It's funny how people recognized the famous billionaire and not the missing milk-carton kid next to him." he rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry you disappear in my brilliance, Danny." I replied in a grave voice.

"Gosh, your hilarious. Come on you pompous jerk, I wanna see the city." he dragged me out of the alley, stopping for a moment to gaze in awe at his settings.

"Lovely, isn't it?" I said knowingly. Danny just nodded dumbly.

"It's like we're in a whole new city." he breathed.

Not a single building here was gray. The were all painted with warm, subtle colors or made of old bricks. The architecture decorating the buildings all stood out, painted opposite of the color spectrum compared to the buildings themselves. Ivy was growing along the sides of many shops, flowers blooming from every window sill. The streets were clear of almost all trash and trees were pruned into circles. Tons of stores edged the road, old style signs hanging from the doors instead of neon lights. Several vendors walked along the streets, selling everything from hot-dogs to masquerade masks. The numerous cultures that blossomed from this part of the city was divinely refreshing.

"This place is amazing." he laughed, spinning around to take everything in at once.

"And there's more to see," I placed a hand on his shoulder bringing him back to earth, "Shall we?"

I let Danny lead the way, following after him as he poked his head into every shop, always buzzing with questions or comments. He must have asked fifty questions at the Apothecary, delighting the ancient store owner. Several hanging wind chimes caught his attention at one point and he ended up having a full conversation with the owner of the craft store, a young woman who'd made everything in the store by hand. One of the shops was covered in hanging clothes, looking as though they were spilling out the door. A funny aroma was wafting from within the darkness beyond the open door, a mystical tune echoing from somewhere. Naturally, this had instantly spiked Danny's curiosity and he'd quickly wandered in. It turned out to be a little fortune telling store, something that could be fun in certain circumstances. However, when I spied some of the fishy looking employees eying Danny and muttering something about 'a new concubine', I promptly dragged him out.

Later, we came across an African heritage shop. It was full of art, war masks, and numerous drums. Two actors were giving a small Zulu warrior fight demonstration, compete with weapons. The crowds had gasped in awe at the display of skill each actor portrayed, and the power behind the weapons when they were demonstrated.

After we left that shop, Danny had ran ahead, but then stopped, gazing into a window with a funny look on his face before tentatively stepping in. I didn't understand until I spied the rainbow flag proudly displayed above the store. Well this would prove to be interesting. I followed after him, seeing him look at all the pictures of past Gay Pride Parades on the walls, curious eyes hesitant. He spent ten minutes half-peaking at almost everything in the little shop, looking as though he wasn't sure if he should be in here or not, but too interested to leave. I, myself, was content with flipping through the photo albums the owners of the store kindly left out for customers, laughing at one or more of the funnier pictures.

"Vlad." Danny tugged on my jacket, whispering quietly.

I leaned down so he could whisper in my ear, his expression making him look as though he'd been caught red handed.

"Yes Daniel?"

"I don't think I'm gay." he said in a hushed voice, a blush flaming across his face.

"I don't think I'm gay either, little badger." I whispered back, smirking.

Danny's face broke out into a grin and he relaxed. Relief was evident on his visage about something, but to what, I couldn't fathom. He floated through the store at ease now, picking through old music albums and t-shirts without that taboo look on his face. It wasn't too long before he lost interest though, and we were on the move again.

He came across a technology store and found about twenty things Tucker would absolutely die for. In the end, he borrowed a few twenties to buy a small, fancy recorder. When I asked him what it was for, he told me it was so Tucker could play back his crappy jokes and realize they really weren't that funny. It was easy to guess who he was shopping for when he stepped inside a strange store that seemed to be the perfect union between goths and environmentalists. He managed to find a set of gardening tools with black skull handles made of completely recycled material. They cost a fortune. At a book store, I helped Danny pick out a book Jazz would probably like. He picked out The Psychology Of Overbearing Sisters. I suggested one titled, The Workings Of The Misunderstood Mind. He decided to go with both.

By the time all of this had come around, it was past lunch, so I set on finding us a nice restaurant where we could eat outside. It didn't take long before I found a cozy cafe-type of place. Danny was delighted by the fact that they had full couches outside instead of chairs and insisted on picking a lumpy love seat for us to sit at. The table was a simple coffee table, complete with a miniature Zen garden and an old magazine.

A waitress came by, holding two menus. The food choice wasn't anything to brag about, but neither of us were really hungry, so we didn't mind.

"What are you going to order, Danny?" I asked folding my menu and setting it back on the table.

"I dunno. Probably just a couple biscuits and a drink. You?"

"Tea."

"Shocker."

Danny yawned and relaxed back, obviously wanting to lay across my chest but restraining himself.

"This little town thing is really cool." he smiled, looking over at me, "How did you find it?"

"When I first moved here I decided to get to know the city I'd be working in a bit better. Took a trip in the skies and stumbled upon this place."

"Do you come here often?" he asked, pulling the jacket a little closer to his neck.

"Not really. Usually I'm too busy with work to find time for a stroll through the city." The waitress came back before he could reply and we ordered our food.

"I hope they like their gifts." Danny changed the subject, referring to his friends and sister.

"I'm sure they'll love the gifts, probably won't like who paid for them though." I flipped through the year old magazine.

"Well, you gotta admit, through their eyes you've been kind of a jerk."

"True, can't argue with that." I nodded thoughtfully.

He was quiet for a while, worrying away a loose string on the couch. His indecisive face told me had had something to say, but he was nervous about saying it.

"Just spit it out Danny. I know you want to say something."

"Fine," he sighed, "Your not gonna try and kill my dad anymore, right? Like, all those crazy evil schemes and stuff. You're done with them, right? Just to clarify."

"You make it sound like I'm returning from rehab." I mumbled, scanning the ancient tabloid. I set the magazine down and gave him a look, "Do you want me to kill your father and enslave the human race?"

"No."

"Then there's your answer."

Danny's face relaxed after a pause, a smile rolling across his lips. The waitress came back with a basket of hot rolls and a glass of tea and soda. Without a word, she left again, leaving us to our meal. It past quickly, consisting of such a small amount of food. By the time we finished it was 4 o'clock, and before long, we were headed back into town, although this time we were slowing making our way back to the parking garage.

Unfortunately for me, I'd forgotten about a certain store I wanted to avoid and when Danny came upon it he frantically rushed inside, calling out for me to follow in a vomit of words that sounded more like "Vlcomere!". Cringing slightly, I forced my way up the steps of the pet shop and was whacked in the face with the stench of animal the second I opened the door.

I found Danny playing with a small brown puppy, the little creature jumping up to meet his fingers. I watched as he gave the rest of the customers a sneaky look and phased his hand through the cage, pulling the puppy out with a triumphant smile.

"Daniel!" I whispered urgently, quickly standing beside him to shield the puppy from anyone's view.

"What? It's just a puppy." he said innocently as the little animal licked his face with a small pink tongue.

"Here, pet him." he held the mutt out to me expectantly, obviously missing my not so eager expression.

Tentatively, I pet his fuzzy brown head with a few fingers, it's tongue reaching out and licking my skin. I made a face and brought my hand back, scowling at the adorable animal as it looked at me with a madly wagging tail.

"Aww, he likes you." Danny grinned, cuddling the puppy like it was his first born child.

"I'm not much of a dog person." I explained.

"Oh, that's right! Well then look over here, they have your favorite animal." He perked up, and after whispered a good bye to the puppy, he phased him back into his cage and dragged me to another set of fuzzy creatures.

"Oh ha ha. How unpredictable." I said flatly as Danny reached through the bars of the cage and pulled out a black and white cat.

The little kitten looked up at me with big blue eyes, strikingly similar to the pair that was looking up at me with unconcealed amusement. Sighing, I reached out and pet the stupid cat, hearing the small animal start to purr.

"Hm, guess you really are a cat person." Danny shrugged, "Who knew."

"We're not keeping the cat." I beat him to the punch.

"Oh come on, please?"

"No."

"Vlad-"

"Don't you Vlad me. Your leaving tomorrow morning and I am not taking care of this thing while you're gone."

"So have one of your ghostly servants do it?"

"I wouldn't be that cruel to my servants."

"If you get a cat now it'll fit with my story explaining those love bites from a few days ago."

"Like your friends will ever actually be at my house to confirm that story. We are not taking that cat home."

Danny must have detected the finality in my voice, because he gave a huge dramatic sigh and mournfully placed the kitten back in it's cage, looking himself like a kicked puppy. I knew this store was bad to go into. I stood strong against his melancholy demeanor, leading him out of the store with a guiding hand.

"Darn. I was hoping you'd cave." he grumbled as we stepped out into the windy day, the depressed shrug in his shoulders instantly leaving as he perked back up.

"A valiant effort, little badger." I congratulated him, ruffling his hair.

He playfully swatted my hand away, dodging my arms when I tried to grab him into a hug. Eventually I manged to catch him, wrapping him up in a tight hold that threatened to never let go. Danny laughed and relaxed against my arms, giving up the fight for a better alternative. I had to let him go though, seeing as it would be awkward and difficult to walk in a hug. Not to mention we might attract one too many unwanted stares.

Casually, we resumed our stroll down the side walk, occasionally stopping in at a small store here and there, but for the most part heading back to the car. The streets were busy with rush hour and the sidewalks became more crowded as people rushed to get home for the evening. We disappeared in the masses, becoming another set of nameless faces. I held on to Danny's hand as we got closer to the parking garage, not wanting to loose him as we pushed our way through, slowly making our way down the block.

Finally, after pushing through the last throng of people, we ended up in front of the elevator. I pushed the button lightly, petting Daniel's hair as he leaned against me. The steel doors opened to reveal two men already standing inside, but I paid no attention to them. Danny followed after me, standing close as I pushed the button that would take us to a higher floor. I hoped the elevator would hurry up. The two scruffy looking men really needed a shower.

Finally a ding alerted us to our exit, and we left the elevator behind. The floor where the Volvo rested was practically empty, all of the cars once there gone home for the night.

"I'm glad we came here." Danny stretched his arms slightly as we made our way to the car.

"Me too. It was nice to get out of the castle for a while." I agreed.

"Can we come back soon?" he asked, wondering if it would ever be possible.

"Probably not soon, but someday, yes. Although by the time that comes around, we'll be able to see all kinds of cities that far surpass what you've seen today." I fished around for the keys in my jacket as we approached the car, Danny making his way to the passenger side.

I was glad that Danny had a good time. I was sure he'd tell his friends all about it tonight when he got the chance. I wonder if they'll like their gifts, even though I technically paid for them. If I'm lucky they'll stop casting me such suspicious glares all the time. Wouldn't that be a drea-

"Ow! Hey, get off me!"

My eyes instantly snapped up with alarm at the slight panic in Danny's voice, the keys to the car hanging limp in my hand at what I saw.

The two men from the elevator had some how managed to sneak up on us. The taller one had his arm wrapped around Danny's neck, a sharp knife pushing at the skin on his face a little to rough for my liking. My fury flared and I glared murderously at the idiots as they actually tried to hold my Daniel hostage.

"Listen Masters, you give us your wallet and those keys, and I promise we won't hurt yer kid here, got it?" The shorter one was holding a gun, casually flipping it between me and Danny's head.

"Ah, dammit." Danny grumbled, the initial shock of being grabbed having worn off and now plain irritation replacing it.

"You two have made a very big mistake." I said in an icy voice, ready to twist their disgusting little heads off.

"Hold on Vlad, I'll take care of this." Danny said, clearly annoyed, "Can't believe they snuck up on me." He mumbled.

"Hey kid, Shut the hell up." the tall one growled, jerking the knife threateningly.

Without further ado, Danny grabbed the hand with the knife and twisted the man's wrist, the weapon clattering to the ground. The man yelped in pain as the shorter one looked at what was happening in shock. Danny ducked to the ground and kicked the knife away, simultaneously knocking the tall one to the ground.

"Knock it off, you stupid brat!" the one with the gun pointed it at Danny.

But he was moving to fast for them to see, much less aim. With a sharp upper cut to the jaw, the man with the gun flew backwards, the gun flying over the edge of the garage. The taller one was getting to his feet as Danny kicked him in the face and twisted him onto his stomach, bending the man's arms into an awkward position to throw him into the second guy.

I watched in frozen surprise and Danny pushed back the sleeves of his jacket, grumbling irritatedly as he stomped over to the pile with the intent of finishing the job. In a matter of minutes, Danny successfully gave each of the men broken noses and at least five major bruises. He didn't have a scratch on him.

"Sorry about that." Danny walked over to me lightly, pulling his jacket sleeves back down, "I was yawning and suddenly one of those idiots grabbed me from behind." He jerked a thumb behind him to the moaning pile.

I blinked, not knowing what to say just yet.

"So, you ready to go."

"You just..." I started, but then shook my head. Why was I even surprised? Danny dealt with life and death situations daily, a coupler of muggers wouldn't scare him.

"Good job." I smiled, unlocking the doors and sliding in.

"Thanks." he replied, pulling his door shut.

I started the engine and pulled out of the parking garage, completely ignoring the incapacitated men whining in the corner. I didn't say much as we headed back home, too distracted to even go past the speed limit. I just couldn't stop replaying that scene over and over in my head, one thought coming to me each time.

"You do realize that was a complete turn on for me." I announced, finally bringing my attention back to the road with my deceleration, inching the speedometer into the 90's.

"I have that affect on people." Danny said smugly, leaning back in his seat.

"Careful Danny, you're going to become as humble as me soon." I teased, accelerating past cars almost lazily.

"Oh no, I wouldn't let myself get _that _bad."

I chuckled lightly as we sped down the road, weaving in and out of cars. Danny made a few more comments about my driving skills, so sneaked past 120 without his knowledge. When he did happen to notice, he promptly freaked out and demeaned that I slow down. I'll never understand why a pair of muggers can't scare him, and yet a little car speeding does.

The Volvo moved fluidly down the country roads, making the ride feel like a trip through a winding river. The trees were darker now, but not by much. Danny was talkative on the ride home, much better than listening to music in my opinion. It wasn't long before we came upon the castle, a feeling of home settling through me at the sight of it. Strange. I've never really felt that way about my castle before.

"Ugh. Finally home." Danny yawned, stretching his back.

I smiled at him, clicking a button and rolling into the car garage once the door was open, returning the Volvo to it's rightful place beside the Ferrari. Danny gathered his bags as I turned the car off, preparing to leave.

"Hold on a minute." I turned to him, grabbing his arm and pulling him in for a kiss.

The bags slipped from his arms as he lowered himself into me, moving his soft lips against my own eagerly. My hand slid over his ear and slipped through his hair, fingering the airy tresses. Danny pulled me a little closer, breathing in as I deepened the kiss. Slowly, the moment died down and our hands found our own bodies again. Danny smiled at me lazily as he stumbled to gather his things. I transformed into Plasmius and picked him up before he could transform himself, flying high in the air and phasing through the castle.

"Where are we going?" Danny asked, for once not complaining about me carrying him and instead hooking an arm around my neck.

"The kitchen." I said, "You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry." he said, but then his stomach growled loudly and he looked down at it in surprise.

"Oh, well maybe I am."

I nodded knowingly, appearing in the kitchen and setting him down. Danny set the plastic bags on the counter top and took off his jacket, hanging it on a kitchen chair and laying the scarf over it.

I kicked off my socks and shoes. Danny followed suit, taking more time to unlace his converse. When I wandered into the kitchen to find something to eat, I found two plates of steaming food already finished and waiting to be set out for us. How I loved having servants.

"Mr. Masters! I'm sorry, I didn't expect you to be home so soon. I was just setting out-" One of the kitchen servants looked worried.

"It's quite alright, I'll take care of it." I waved away her apology, barely catching her surprised face before heading back to Danny.

"Okay, I lied, I'm starving." I could see Danny's mouth watering as I set the plate on the table.

The smell of seasoned vegetables, hickory steak, and potato pancakes filled the air, completely removing the dirt and noise of the city, truly bringing us back home. Danny grabbed the utensils and I got the cups. Before long we were enjoying our quiet dinner together, contentment filling us both.

"It must be nice having servants to cook food for you." Danny commented, echoing my earlier thoughts.

"It's quite the luxury." I agreed, stabbing a bit of meat with my fork.

Danny was eating slower than usual. Instead of his typical inhaling technique, he actually took the time to taste his food. I watched him closely, seeing an almost wistful look in his eye as he stared out the darkening window.

"Is something wrong, Danny?" I asked.

"No," he sighed, "It's just...this is our last dinner together."

I blinked, surprised that he realized this. He shrugged it off and returned to his food, looking a little embarrassed.

"So it is." I said quietly, taking a bite of potato.

The rest of dinner had a solemn air to it. It felt like things were finally starting to wind down after such an eventful day, or was it from the eventful week? Danny would be returning home tomorrow and I'd be returning to work. It was a rather unpleasant thought, so we both preferred to focus on our current time together, using every minute we had. Once we were done eating, we washed our dishes just as something to do together. The jackets and merchandise were left in the kitchen as we wandered out.

I lead Daniel to the den with intentions of holding him till the sun came up. He walked by my side, letting me lead him. To think, a year ago I couldn't even do something like this without him shouting out accusations and suspicious questions. Now he went with me happily, almost pulling me himself in the direction I was walking.

The massive fireplace was going strong, the windows closed. The Victorian decor was lost to us as we floated in. We fell back into the couch, sinking into it's cushions and wrapped up in each others arms. Danny's legs were tangled with mine, his hands on my chest. I stoked his soft face, looking into his ice blue eyes, thinking it curious how the fire was reflected in them. How could ice hold flame?

My pointless thoughts were broken when he smiled at me, lighting up his features beautifully and causing me to do the same. Slowly, he brought his face closer.

"I'm going to miss you." he whispered against my lips.

I held him tighter in response, wishing he could stay forever.

"But you'll be back." I said quietly, stating the truth.

"Yep." he smiled. "All the time."

Our faces moved closer, the space between us was immeasurable. I held his head in my hand, his fingers were curled around my neck. Our breathe, so close, felt like the gentlest fingers. Danny kissed me, once, twice. I traced his spine, feeling it bend into my body. His feathery fingers traced my jawline as I kissed him, moving up and freeing my hair. His leg curled around my waist, I held him closer, our chests pressed together.

Danny's caressing became more urgent as I deepened the kiss, a hand tangling in my hair when my tongue moved across his. His free hand moved up my shirt, chilling and burning the skin where his fingers touched. I felt myself start to unwind as he moved provocatively against me, need radiating from his lithe form.

I traced the edge of his pants, barely dipping below the hem line. His desire was starting to consume me, pulling me in. I ran a finger under his shirt and up his chest, raising the shirt tantalizingly. I couldn't help but eye his flawless skin hungrily, giving in as I moved down and kissed the soft flesh. Danny breathed in sharply when I played with his nipples, biting the hardening buds and running a tongue over them. His grip in my hair tightened, his hips moving against mine seductively.

I didn't acknowledge anything around me as I slowly turned Daniel to clay, so I didn't think much of anything when we were suddenly in my large bed, pink tendrils of teleportation disappearing in the air. My subconscious teleport worked well to my advantage, however, because I now had much more room to maneuver.

Danny didn't acknowledge the change of setting either, too busy squirming beneath me. I knelt over him, moving my mouth up his chest and biting at his neck. His arms clutched my back, fists clenching the fabric of my shirt and moaning as I bruised the skin. I kissed his lips a little roughly, wanting more. His shirt fell to the floor after I phased it through him, leaving the skin open. Danny's hands twisted into the fabrics of my own shirt and pulled it threw me, throwing it to the ground as well.

His arms wrapped around my neck as I leaned in close to him, the fiery warmth between our chests electrifying. I fingered the hem of Danny's pants again, dipping much lower than the waist line this time. Danny gasped in response, his hips moving against mine pleadingly. I slowly unbuttoned the jeans, pulling the zipper down at a tortuously slow rate. I relished the sound he made as I dragged the pants down his legs, the arms around my neck tightening as air touched his bare skin.

"Vlad..." he moaned when I pulled at the waistline of his boxers, grinding his arousal against mine.

A groan escaped my lips as I pressed him closer to me, my pants becoming irritatingly tight. He seemed to understand this. I felt his smooth fingers grab the waist of my uncomfortable jeans and he phased them through me, throwing them to the floor. The thin fabric of boxers between us was a transparent veil, irritatingly present. Impatiently, I grabbed both boxers with one hand and got rid of them. Danny gasped at the sudden rush of heat as our nude bodies were pressed against one another tightly, clutching me.

He squirmed, his hardened member moving against mine, unrestricted. His body, laid out before me, was more than mere temptation. I licked at the pink buds on his chest, bruised the ivory skin with my teeth. His panting breath was my fire, pushing me forward. My hands traced the inside of his thigh tantalizingly, making Danny beg for more.

"Vlad, _please!_"

I grinned at the sound of his voice and happily obliged. His nails dug into the bare skin of my back when I grabbed his member, his breath quickly growing short.

He squirmed again as I slowly stroked the flesh, relishing the sounds I procured from his throat. His back arched slightly when I increased the pace, his breathing becoming more labored. I dragged a tongue up his neck, sucking at the skin. Danny's eyes glazed over, his grip on my back never loosening. I went faster, Danny struggled to cut off his loud groan, biting my neck to silence himself. A shiver went down my spin as his teeth sunk into my skin, an almost feral growl rumbling in my throat.

I slowed my pace down, not wanting to loose control. Danny's moans pleaded with me, his body needing release. I felt his lips on my neck move up, his tongue twisting around my ear. My resolve wavered as he kissed me. The kiss was somehow more desperate, more urgent. His hands moved around my body fluidly. In my hazy mind, I couldn't follow them, trying to focus on too many things at once. His tongue ensnared mine, his body moved provocatively against me. I craved his soft flesh, deepening the kiss and rubbing the head of his weeping cock with a thumb.

Danny whimpered into my lips, hips moving with my hand. His lips moved from mine, leaving a feathery trail up to the side of my face. Hot breath sent shivers down my spine as he moaned into my ear,

"God Vlad, _take me_."

I couldn't hold back my unwavering lust, not with words like that so heatedly whispered_._ My hazy mind turned red with desire, his body suddenly opening up clearly before me. My tongue traced the skin of his flawless chest, the light muscles flexing. My hands caressed his entire body, teasing the skin. Danny groaned out my name, pulling at my hair erotically. He begged for me, his hard member pulsing against mine saying everything.

"Danny..." I breathed in his name, feeling his arms move over my skin.

He turned his flushed face to mine, quickly falling into another kiss. I felt a powerful urge below my navel again, clutching Danny tighter. He was melded against me, completely encompassed by need. Blindly, I reached a hand to my bedside table, fumbling with the drawer. Somehow, I managed to find the bottle I was looking for, dragging it closer as I kissed my love below me.

"Danny." I whispered, breaking the kiss.

"Hmfh?"

"Danny, I have to warn you, it's going to hurt." I whispered, my conscious somehow making it's way through the layers of lust.

"I don't care." he breathed, and his voice grew softer, "I love you." That simple statement explaining everything for him.

Hearing those three words from him was indescribable. That was the second time he'd said them to me, each one a treasure. I pressed my lips against his again, softer this time, savoring every second. Danny laid below me, caressing my face. I moved gently, kneeling between his legs. My hands felt his hot flesh, fingers teasing his nipples for a moment before sliding down. He moaned into the kiss when I stroked his cock, but I didn't linger.

Danny yelped sharply when I inserted a finger, quickly cutting off the kiss and grasping my shoulders in an iron grip, instantly tensing up. I kissed his temple softly, attempting to calming his rapid breathing.

"Relax, Danny." I said quietly, kissing his ear.

He gasped harshly, falling into a painful groan as I carefully slid a second finger into his tight entrance. His nails were digging into my skin, panting breath loud in my ears. I gently moved the digits, Danny whimpering below me. I kissed him softly, still moving my fingers slowly. A shaking hand twisted in my hair, lips pressing against mine for a moment and then disappearing. His heavy breathing and groans slowly fell away as I whispered soft words into his ear.

I felt the tension leave him as he finally started to relax, his whimpers turning into heavy moans as I pressed my fingers in farther, scissoring him. He moved against my hand now, body heat coming off in waves. My free hand moved down his chest, playing with his cock, letting me relish the noises he made.

His entrance was still too tight, so I carefully moved in a third finger. Danny hissed in pain, tensing up and digging his nails into my back. I hesitated, not wanting to push him too much.

"No, don't stop." he grunted, forcing himself to relax.

Tentatively, I pushed the third finger in farther, his grimace slowly falling and a breathy moan crossing his lips again. I couldn't help but feel a spike of pride at the pure pleasure on Danny's face, stretching and pressing into his entrance again just to hear him moan for me again.

"God, Vlad, don't stop." He breathed, lips jumping up and meeting mine in an urgent kiss. I grinned against his lips, the hand once playing with his hard member moving away to search for that bottle again.

Once found, I easily flicked off the top, spilling the scented oil onto my hand. Danny could smell the musky scent, but didn't break the kiss to question it. I ran a tongue over his lips, keeping him distracted as I prepared myself. His hands roamed around my skin, occasionally lingering and teasing my hard nipples and then caressing the muscles on my chest. His hands crawled lower, stroking forbidden skin. I breathed sharply in our kiss, feeling my waning patience disappear.

Danny frowned and whined in displeasure when I removed my fingers, looking at me with confused, glazed eyes. I grabbed his hips, moving them up and into position, kneeling over him. His eyes widened in realization, something akin to nervousness breaking through his heavy desire. Unfortunately, I was much too far gone to stop now.

Danny screamed when I thrust into him, back arching and nails dragging down my back. I groaned loudly, feeling his tight entrance swallow my cock. Danny's knees were clenched tight against me, his face scrunched up in pain. My breathing was ragged as I slowly pulled out, his moan reaching my ears.

He cried out again when I thrust back into his entrance, tensing up around me and hissing in pain. I savored the feeling of his walls pressing against my throbbing member, unsuccessfully holding back another groan. When I pulled out again, Danny tensed, but I pushed back in slowly, feeling his quick breath slowly decrease, his body relax slightly. He moaned as I pushed inside of him, hands still clutching my back.

His whimpers of pain slowly disappeared as I thrust in and out at a steady pace. Impatiently, I moved faster, hearing his breath groan. His hips started moving against mine, begging me to go deeper. He cried out again when I thrust into him harder, this time out of pleasure. I had to bite his neck to repress a heavy moan of my own.

I thrust in, deeper than ever, and a loud scream tore out of his throat.

"Fuck! Again!"

I dug into his entrance, his screams sounding like music in my ears. He cried out for more, echoing my name throughout the room. I gripped his hips with bruising strength, thrusting in repeatedly and gasping in ecstasy. Danny pressed his lips against mine roughly, a hand pulling at my hair. I twisted my tongue around his, pressing inside of him and grinding my hips. Danny moaned, his back arching clean off the sheets again. I felt my stomach tighten somewhere below my navel, the heat between us increasing. I knew I didn't have much time, and I sure as hell wasn't about to come before Danny.

He cried out when I grabbed his cock and pumped it in time with my thrusts. His rapid breathing and rolling eyes told me he couldn't last much longer. Soon enough, I felt hot liquid spill against my chest as Danny screamed my name. Satisfaction coursed through me and I bent over him to kiss him roughly. It wasn't long after that I lost control and released myself inside Danny. He shuddered, moaning beneath me and grasping at my arms. I moved my hips against him for a moment longer, feeling my climax slowly die down. Danny took a shaky breath as I slowly pulled myself out, my arms trembling to keep my weight up.

With a deep exhale, I lowered myself behind him, falling into the sheets and feeling my entire body melt. The only sound in the room was our ragged, panting breath, our minds still caught up in the moment. Without really registering it, I pulled Danny's trembling form closer. He slowly turned over, wincing slightly, and settled himself comfortably, his breath coming out in hot puffs against my chest. My hand laid on his back as my heart rate slowly decreased, holding him close.

We were silent for a long while as our heavy breathing died down, listening to each others steady heartbeats. My mind felt thick, a thousand things running through it at once. Danny's tired eyes were lidded and a yawn escaped him. I smiled tiredly, watching him struggle to stay awake.

"Go to sleep, Danny." I said quietly, kissing his forehead.

"But...I'm not tired." He muttered, his voice hoarse, his hands clutching me tighter as though I'd disappear.

I didn't reply, instead stroking his back gently until his breathing was long and slow. I wasn't surprised when I looked down again and found him asleep, exhaling whispers of cool air across my skin. He looked peaceful in his sleep, as he always does. I moved a hand down his body one last time, taking in the serene picture. He shifted a little closer to me, mumbling.

I hadn't exactly planned, nor expected, the night to end with something like this. I had no idea if Danny would regret our night together come morning, but I had the strong feeling he wouldn't. I watched his gentle, sleeping face one last time before letting my creeping exhausting wash over me, a large yawn briefly obscuring my vision. My head sank into the pillows as I brushed a thumb lightly over Danny's cheek. I thought of nothing, to busy committing this night to eternal memory. But it wasn't long before I followed him into dreams, finally bringing an end to our week.


	14. Chapter 14

* * *

Jazz PoV

* * *

My brother Danny has been home for almost two weeks now, and yet, he hasn't.

The day he finally returned home, my parents had absolutely screamed with happiness. I remember everything from the moment our phone rang with Vlad bringing news that he 'found Danny' to the days of celebration my parents threw.

_Mom sat on the couch, staring out the window with no expression. She looked older, worn out. Maybe it was because of the lone light from the lamp, but I could see every wrinkle in her face, each one drawn and sad. Dad was who-knows-where. Maybe he was outside, still searching, or maybe he was downstairs, staring at all the dusty lab equipment. I was waiting on pins and needles, knowing today was the day, the day Danny came home. It was already 2 o'clock. Where were they? Perhaps Danny was wrong. What if Vlad never intended to return him? What if he had tricked my brother and now Danny was locked away in-_

_The phone rang, shattering the hanging silence. _

_Mom instantly came alive, grabbing the receiver with brave hope raising within her eyes. _

_"Hello?" she asked quietly, teetering on the edge. I prayed it was who I thought it was, otherwise I don't think Mom could handle another let down._

_"Vlad? What-"_

_Happiness and relief exploded in my chest. I couldn't stop the grin that prematurely stretched across my face. It was him! It was Danny! I watched as my mother gripped the receiver with both hands, knuckles turning white. Her eyes widened, her breathe was nonexistent._

_"You-you found..."_

_Tears welled in her eyes as her old fire returned. My mom seemed to transform in front of my eyes, gone from a whisper of a women to the lioness she's always been._

_"Jack! JACK!" she screamed, moving away from the receiver, "Vlad found Danny! He found Danny!" _

_I released my cry of happiness, hearing Dad clamber up the steps hastily. The lab door burst open, the handle putting a hole in the wall. His eyes were wide, mouth agape._

_"Danny, Jack! Vlad found him!" _

_Tears were streaming down her face, she was practically jumping up and down on the couch. Dad finally came out of his stupor, punching the air ecstatically._

_"Way to go Vladdie!" he boomed._

_My mom quickly returned to the phone, talking so fast I could barely understand her. Dad bounded to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder and absolutely beaming. When Mom's voice fell to a whisper and she stopped breathing again, I knew she was talking to Danny. _

_"Danny?" she whispered, tears coming down in buckets now, her knuckles white once more. _

_She wasn't able to get much more out. I heard a few choking gasps as she tried to rein in her emotions, but it was a futile attempt. _

_"Yes, we'll see you soon sweetheart. I love you." she sniffed, smiling softly._

_Slowly, she hung up the receiver, looking as calm and collected as she could with tears running down her face. _

_"He'll be here in about three hours." she said quietly. _

_The stillness that lingered in her words quickly vanished. Mom broke into fresh sobs again, jumping up and wrapping her arms around Dad. He clutched her tightly, sitting down and rubbing her back, whispering soft words in her ear. I couldn't erase the smile from my face, and was surprised when I realized I was weeping myself. Three more hours. Just three more hours._

_They were the longest three hours of my life. I quickly called Sam and Tucker, telling them the news. They showed up on our doorstep in record time with matching expressions of elation._

_"'Bout time he got here." Sam said to me quietly. _

_I nodded in agreement. We spent at least an hour pacing and glancing at the clock until Mom decided to make a feast to take her mind off the time. Everyone helped her cook, half to pass the time and half to make sure she didn't re-enact Frankenturkey. We filled the table with meatloaf and potatoes, lasagna and fruit salad, baked chicken and green beans. My mom, Sam, and I created a chocolate, fudge drizzled cake. The words __'Welcome home Danny!' were iced in green. _

_The fact that Sam, Tucker, and I had known all week that Danny was to return today didn't quell the impatience. Once all the food was finished, the clock said ten till five. Those ten minutes were torturous. Mom and I were cleaning the immaculate living room, steeling glances at the door every ten seconds. Dad was pacing in circles, mumbling to himself. Tucker was on his PDA, his hand moving rapidly around the screen. Sam was staring out the window, arms crossed and face expressionless. Only her reflected eyes betrayed her, the emotion in them easy to see. _

_Finally, she screamed, causing everyones heart rate to accelerate even though we all froze. I forced my numb legs to move, getting closer to Sam's still form, her hands covering her mouth. A long black limo was in front of our house. I felt like I was disconnected from my body as I watched Danny get out of the car. He stared at the house with a numb expression, breaking it to glance back into the depths of the car and then look back at us. His face burst into a wide grin when he met our eyes, lighting up his features right down to the darkest point in his eyes. _

_Mom couldn't take it anymore and she ran to the door, throwing it open and looking down at her son in pure joy. _

_"Danny!" _

_Her shout broke the ice holding us all. Everyone followed her outside, stampeding down the steps. I watched as Mom and Danny ran into each others arms, falling into a tight embrace full of joyful cries. Dad ran to meet them, wrapping his arms around them both and hugging them close. I couldn't stop watching, the grin on my face never faltering. Danny hugged them close, happiness evident in his entire demeanor, reflected ten fold by Mom and Dad. _

_It was then that I noticed Vlad Masters by the limo, watching the touching scene with a gentle smile. That was the only time my grin fell, such fury coursing through me at the sight of him that I was a little shocked. How dare he smile like that? How dare he even stick around? This was all his fault anyways. He doesn't even have the right be here. _

_I tore my eyes away from him, pushing down my emotions to deal with later. I was just happy Danny was home. I wasn't about to let that fruitloop ruin it. _

_Danny pulled away from Mom and Dad, turning to me with a smile that I returned. The butterflies in my stomach began fluttering once more as I reached out to him, all negative feelings forgotten as I embraced my brother for the first time in two weeks. _

_"Thanks Jazz." he whispered in my ear, guilt in his voice. _

_I was unable to say your welcome because I had hated his choice from the beginning and had kept it from Mom and Dad reluctantly. But I held him tighter, telling him without words that I'd always be there for him no matter what his decisions are. _

_Reluctantly, I let him go, leaving him to laugh and hug his friends. Mom and Dad were at the bottom of the stairs, watching him with love in their eyes, their own hands clasped. I forced myself to look at Vlad, expecting him to be eying Mom with jealously, but I was surprised to see him still staring at Danny. _

_"Come on Danny," Mom reached out and pulled him into another hug, kissing his forehead. "We have tons of food waiting. You must be starving."_

_"Yeah, and Vlad can come too!" My Dad swung a large arm around Vlad's shoulders, finally bringing him into the picture. _

_"Of course! Please, come in Vlad." My mom implored, completely flooring me. Was she feeling okay?_

_"Oh no, I don't want to impose-" _

_"Nonsense! You found Danny for us, please, come in." she welcomed him graciously, all the while still hugging Danny close to her. _

_He stayed for dinner, unfortunately. Sam and Tucker shared my sentiments, but we all kept our thoughts to ourselves. None of us wanted to ruin this happy time with our stormy opinions of Vlad. _

_The evening was loud and full of celebration. Mom called everyone in the phone book, practically shouting the news. By morning the whole town would know that Danny was back. I took amusement in watching Vlad be forced to hold a conversation with my Dad, something he wasn't too excited about. Dad ate about half the food on the table, leaving everyone else the rest. _

_I kept a close eye on Vlad, but for some reason it felt like keeping a close eye on Danny. The two were never far apart, but I don't think any one else noticed. They sat next to each other at the table, stood next to each other as they talked, and even shared a joke or two. Any enmity that was once between them was obviously gone, and it worried me._

_But Danny seemed happy and safe, even with Vlad standing behind him or sitting __next to him. He was always smiling, completely relaxed. I decided not to worry about it, seeing as Danny wasn't worrying about it. Besides, Vlad hadn't even spared a glance at Mom all night, so I certainly wasn't complaining. Although he did stare at Danny quite a lot..._

_Once our stomaches were full and our elation had died down to a tolerable level, we all headed into the living room to relax and enjoy each others company, something I managed to do despite Vlad's presence. I was happy to see Danny sit between Mom and Dad instead of next to Vlad. My parents hugged him for the millionth time that evening and finally, questions were asked. _

_According to Vlad, he'd been out walking this afternoon and had come across a confused Danny stumbling through the woods. Danny, apparently, couldn't remember what happened. He said he was only able to recall snap shots, flitting memories of the ghost zone. His guess was that he'd managed to free himself of the kidnapping ghosts and then came across a natural portal that led him to Wisconsin, where he wandered around for hours until Vlad found him. _

_It sounded like total crap to me, but that might be because I know it's total crap. However, Mom and Dad took it hook, line, and sinker, going on about how lucky it was that Vlad had spotted him and saying how happy they were that he was home. _

_As 11 o'clock rolled around, the evening finally came to an end with Vlad claiming he had business to attend to in the morning and Sam and Tucker getting a call from their parents. After another half hour of thank yous and good byes, Sam and Tucker left, promising to come by tomorrow. Vlad said one last good bye, giving Danny a significant glance that I couldn't decipher, and then taking his leave as well. I watched as Danny practically floated to the window, looking out the glass with a wistful expression. It was an expression that I would come to know very well in the coming weeks._

Now, two weeks later, Mom and Dad's elation still hasn't completely died really had been miserable without him, especially my mom. She would spend hours looking through old photo albums, lingering long enough to cry over every picture he was in. Dad would always come home late into the night from searching. Sometimes, when both my parents were out looking for him, they wouldn't come home at all, dragging themselves through the door the next day, looking lifeless.

It was moments like those that I really hated my brother's choice to stay with Vlad for an extra week, so much so that I was even angry with Danny sometimes. I had to keep reminding myself that it was for the best, that it was for protecting Dad. Danny said Vlad wouldn't attack Dad anymore, and I haven't heard a peep from the billionaire since he brought Danny home, so maybe Vlad was telling the truth.

But I still can't help but have a bad feeling. Something feels off.

I remember the day Danny told us he'd be staying with Vlad. At first, when Sam had called and told me Danny was at Tucker's house, I'd been ready to run through the house jumping for joy. I didn't even get nervous when she told me not to tell my parents and to just get over to Tucker's place. I hadn't thought anything of it because I'd been much too happy with the simple knowledge that Danny was _back_. No more depressed parents, no more spending agonizing hours analyzing every possible tragedy that could have happened to him, and no more sleepless nights. Danny was home and everyone would be happy again.

And then he told us he was going back.

I don't know what was worse for me, his first disappearance or the heartbreak of watching him go back. I didn't understand, and it infuriated me. Why on earth would he go back? Why would he _want _to go back? This was _Vlad Masters _we were talking about. It just didn't make any logical sense.

He told us it was because he thought he could turn Vlad's heart of stone into something kinder. It sounded fishy to me. Vlad kidnaps Danny and suddenly Danny wants to be his savior? I've only known Danny to despise Vlad. I remember when Danny came home from fights with him, he'd be an absolute wreck. He was always so furious and upset, not to mention beaten to a pulp. Sometimes, when he was feeling particularly upset, he'd talk to me, and a few times...he got pretty emotional, talking about how confused he was. It was what made me hate Vlad so much, the way he twisted with my brother's head.

So I couldn't wrap my mind around the reason Danny was willingly returning to Vlad, even if his goal was to keep the monster from trying to kill Dad. I don't see my brother doing something so drastic. There was a higher chance that it was impossible to break Vlad of his grudge, and my brother wouldn't spend an extra week with Plasmius on mere chance. He'd only do something so radical if he was absolutely sure Vlad wasn't going to kill Dad anymore...or if there was something else going on.

And then I saw the hickeys. I don't know what Danny takes me for, but I'm not an idiot. I knew those weren't cat bites on his neck, there was just no way. Yet, the alternative explanation was so horrible I didn't even want to consider it. Could Vlad have...? No. Impossible. Even _he's _not that much of a fruitloop. Right?

But the entire time Danny was with us, and whenever he'd talk about _him_, it was like no one else in the world existed. And the _way _he talked about him, it was just...just..._wrong. _The Danny I knew before the spontaneous kidnapping wouldn't want to spend ten seconds in the same room as Plasmius, and then he comes home for a visit and tells us they've been taking swim lessons and going on walks together. At first I thought he'd been brainwashed. Actually, I'd hoped Danny had been brainwashed. But when we talked with Danny over the webcam and I noticed how much more defensive, even protective, of Vlad he'd become, I knew it couldn't be that simple.

Brainwashing involves a complex manipulation of the mind. Usually, the process is so grueling on the brain that all that's left is a mindless puppet at your fingers. There is no learning or developing, only existing for the brainwashings purpose. Vlad wouldn't want a mindless drone. He wouldn't see that as winning in his sick game of chess. I never truly believed Danny had been brainwashed, and as I witnessed him become more attached to Vlad, I knew it wasn't so.

This was quickly narrowing down my list of explanations. What could Vlad have done to suddenly turn Danny so close to him and still explain the unmistakable hickeys on his neck? Had Vlad messed with my brother's head so much that he'd somehow managed to turn Danny onto his side? But then what's with the hickeys?

Did...did Vlad rape Danny?

No way. Of course not. Seriously, it's ridiculous to even think about. He's crazy about Mom, not a fifteen year old. I mean, if that had been the case, then Danny would be fighting him tooth and nail.

Or...would he? Perhaps...perhaps whatever Vlad did...it finally broke my little brother and then Vlad managed to wrap him around his finger. I've read about cases where the victim becomes so attached to the offender that lines are blurred and reality is twisted for the one who was hurt. Did Danny create his own world where he actually believes Vlad...loves him? As a sort of defense against the harshness of reality? But if that's the case...then Vlad really did...

I couldn't let myself think like that. It was an absurd thought. Danny was back, the ghosts were attacking less, and Mom and Dad were happy. Just because Danny disappears for hours at a time during the week doesn't mean he's going off to Vlad's through the portal. I'm just being paranoid, like Danny said.

_"Guys, it was one day."_

_"You promised you'd talk to us every night. Why didn't you call Thursday night? What happened?"_

_"Nothing happened! I just forgot, okay." He looked oddly flustered._

_"We were worried sick! We thought Vlad-"_

_"Vlad didn't do anything! I'm home now, and I'm just fine. Jeez, would you all stop being so paranoid?"_

At this point, Sam had practically blown up with fury, claiming we had every right to be paranoid. Danny got angry as well, once again trying to tell us that Vlad wasn't the person we thought he was. I'm sure Sam and Tucker still think Vlad managed to brainwash or trick my brother. I haven't told them what I suspect happened. They'd never believe me. I hardly believe me.

I was probably just getting all worked up over nothing. Danny's home and things are more or less returning to normal. My theories are unfounded, speculative at best. Besides, Danny wouldn't let something like that happen to him. I'm just being paranoid.

Everything is just fine.

"Sam! Tucker! Wait up!" I heard Danny call.

I looked over to the trio of friends as I walked toward my car, leaving the school. The last remnants of the bell were echoing off the grounds and teenagers were pouring out the front doors. I watched as Danny ran over to Sam and Tucker, lugging his backpack behind him. I could tell they were talking, but I was much to far to hear what they were saying. They started for the sidewalk, leaving the school behind at an easy stroll.

I turned back to my little red car and glanced at the sky. Summer was creeping up, bringing more sun and longer days. The engine coughed as usual, spluttering to a start. I pulled down the visor and drove out of the parking lot, taking my usual route home.

I passed Danny and his friends, waving hi like I always do. Danny waved hello back, like he normally does. It was as though he never left. Except for the random disappearances and the more floaty lift in his step. If I didn't know any better I'd say he had a girlfriend.

I looked in my rear view mirror, back at the trio. Predictably, Sam was casting Danny furtive looks and Danny was as oblivious as ever. It was easy to see even as I drove away. He's always been so clueless.

I pressed on the gas, rounding a corner. I could see the top of the Op-Center peaking over the roofs of normal buildings and couldn't repress an annoyed sigh. Soon enough I was parking in the empty lot next to us, pointedly ignoring the hulking RV.

The homework load wasn't too bad. With Mom and Dad gone out shopping, I took advantage of the precious silence. I had my essays and Physics finished by the time Danny, Sam, and Tucker stumbled in an hour later, all three groaning for food.

"Meat! Please tell me you have meat!" Tucker gasped, a large smudge of dirt on his shirt that wasn't their after school.

Danny snorted, wisely steering clear of the fridge. I noticed a half healed cut across his forehead, peaking out from beneath his hair.

"Ghost hunting?" I asked sympathetically, looking up at him from my homework pile on the kitchen table.

"Yep." Danny pulled out three cans from the cabinet, glancing at the label before throwing one to Tucker who squealed in delight.

"Meat!"

"Tucker, that's Spam. Tofu counts as meat more than that garbage." Sam scrunched up her nose in disgust.

"Tofu _is_ garbage."

"Tucker! So help me-"

"Hey Sam, we might have some celery in the fridge. And look," Danny swiftly pulled out a jar of peanut butter and drew out his voice. "We have crunchy, your favorite."

He tossed the jar over to his deflating friend, expertly extinguishing the fight brewing between the goth and the techno geek. Sam smiled at the jar of crunchy peanut butter, giving Tucker the cold shoulder as she approached the fridge.

"Who was it this time?" I asked Danny as he pulled out a bowl for cereal, ignoring the tamed squabble between his friends.

"Ember. Haven't seen her in a while." He commented, reaching into the fridge and pulling out a carton of milk. He tentatively sniffed the drink and then shrugged, pouring it in his cereal.

"Tucker, can you please take that outside where it belongs." Sam looked sick as Tucker cut the lid from the can, unleashing the foul smell.

"I could say the same thing about your rabbit food." He looked at her smartly, immediately inhaling the canned meat.

Danny, all too used to this argument, settled down with his Invader O's and munched away, staring out the window with that wistful expression again. I couldn't understand where that expression was coming from. I've often caught him staring out into space with a glazed look, sometimes with a secretive smile across his face. He's been doing that ever since he came home from Vlad's.

"Just because it's canned it doesn't mean it's not natural, right Danny?"

The raven haired teen continued to gaze out the window.

"Uh, Danny? Hello? Danny!"

"Huh?" He looked over at his friends, meeting their question marked stares.

"Um, I mean, right!" He looked a little sheepish, smiling too widely.

"See? Told you Sam!"

"Danny, do you even know what the question was?" Sam asked in an exasperated tone.

"Meat?"

"There. He knows exactly what were talking about." Tucker nodded confidently. Sam still looked unconvinced, but before she could argue against it, Danny spoke up.

"What time are Mom and Dad getting home?" He asked me.

"In about at hour, so enjoy the freedom while you still can." I advised.

"Yeah, no kidding." He muttered darkly.

Poor Danny's had hardly a minute to breathe since he got home. Mom and Dad are just starting to finally leave him alone and not follow him to the mall anymore. Their actions are understandable, what with Danny 'mysteriously' disappearing for two weeks, but I could tell they were suffocating him.

"Hopefully they'll loosen up a bit. I've been home for two weeks now." He grumbled.

"Hopefully. I'm getting tired of covering for you all the time." I said dryly, hoping he'd get the hint.

"Yeah." I wouldn't look me in the eye. "But, you know, ghost hunting." He shrugged half heartedly, totally lying.

It bothered me that Danny wouldn't tell me where he was really going, but I didn't push. I knew he wasn't ghost fighting. There had been a significantly lower number of ghost attacks since he returned from Vlad's, no where near enough to cover the hours he was randomly gone. I was worried about him, and if his disappearances were constant, I'm not ashamed to say I'd follow him to find out what he's doing. Unfortunately, they're all sporadic. One day he'll be here, the next day he won't.

I don't think Sam or Tucker have noticed Danny's odd absences either. Well, Tucker hasn't noticed. I get the feeling Sam realizes somethings up, but isn't saying anything.

"I got this sweet new demo of Doom 3. Who wants to check it out?" Tucker interrupted my thoughts and suddenly pulled a disc from his pocket, waving it tantalizingly in front of Danny and Sam.

"We do!" They yelled in unison, jumping up from their chairs, food forgotten.

Like stampeding rhinos, they bolted out of the kitchen and up the stairs, leaving their mess behind them. I heard Danny's door slam shut and sighed, knowing I'd be the one cleaning this mess up. With little complaint, (Danny saves us daily from ghost attacks, I figured the least I could do was clean up after him once in a while) I gathered the dirty dishes, cringing when I threw Tucker's into the trash, spraying Lysol all over the spot he was sitting and the empty Spam can for good measure.

Maybe Danny is just going off and practicing his ghost powers by himself. He did say Vlad gave him a little training while he was at his mansion. But why would he keep that from me and his friends? It's not like that's anything worth hiding.

I scrubbed at the spotless bowl, getting lost in my determination to figure out what Danny was up to.

He's never come back hurt. Whenever he reappears he's in perfect condition, except maybe a little tired. The only difference is his mood. He's always happy when he comes back from where ever he goes, and much more floaty. Kinda like the day he returned home.

I put the dried bowl away, starting on some utensils.

Maybe he _does _have a secret girlfriend. I couldn't help but smirk to myself. Yeah right. Everyone knows he likes Sam. It's so funny how he won't admit it.

The soap clotted over the gleaming metal, looking like distorted snow.

I wonder if he's going to the ghost zone. I paused in my cleaning. But why would he go there? Perhaps to pay off some sort of debt or something? Is he doing something dangerous that would put us in harms way if we knew what it was? But if that was the case, then he wouldn't come home looking like a love struck school girl. Where could he possibly go in the ghost zone that would cause that reacti-

The dishes fell limp in my hands, the water pouring out of the faucet becoming deaf in my ears. The answer was so obvious. His portal is only ten minutes from ours. How could I have ignored it all this time?

He's going to Vlad's.

"Jazzy pants! Were home early! Where's Danny?" Dad busted through the door, looking around expectantly. I felt a burst of adrenaline punch through me as the silence was broken, feeling as though I'd been caught red handed.

"Jazz? Are you alright? You look a little pale." Mom wandered into the kitchen as Dad waddled up the steps, setting her many bags on the table and walking closer to me.

"I-I'm fine." I forced out, giving her a crooked smile and turning back to the dishes.

She hesitated.

"Well if you're sure..."

After a moment of nothing but the sound of dishes clinking and running water, Mom turned back to her stuff, leaving me to steady my rapid heart beat.

"Finally got a new set of foundation at the mall. Can't imagine where I put my original..." She trailed off again. I looked over my shoulder to see her inspecting a flesh colored tube of make up. She had lost her original one a week or so ago.

"He's upstairs Mads." Dad wandered back into the kitchen, ever informing us of Danny's current position. "Jazz! You wanna see what your mother and I bought?"

"Does it involve ghosts?" I asked, deadpanned.

"Yeah." He gave me a confused look, as though not understanding how it could be anything else.

"Then no." I swiftly dried the rest of the dishes and put them away.

Dad resembled something close to a deflated balloon, but almost immediately perked back up, jabbering on to Mom about the many different ideas he had for the new ghost equipment they bought. I quickly grabbed my unfinished homework from the table, knowing if I waited too long they'd be covered in green goop from some weird gun or something.

"Night Mom." I sneaked into Dad's monologue quietly, casting her a smile.

She raised an eyebrow at how early it was but said nothing, waving good bye with a smile. I know it was early, but I wasn't really up to company a the moment, my heart heavy. As I ascended the stairs I could hear the sounds of laser guns and explosions coming from my brothers room, along with three carefree laughs. Dad had left the door to Danny's room open and as I passed I sneaked in a look.

Danny was sitting at his computer, totally at ease. Sam and Tucker were on either side of him, shouting obscenities at the game they were playing. _Was_ Danny going to Vlad's? I didn't exactly have proof. Maybe I'm just being paranoid again.

A loud explosion echoed around the room and all the teens yelled, throwing their arms in the air.

"You loose, Danny. Scoot over, it's my turn." Tucker practically pushed him out of the seat, eagerly starting a new game.

Danny grinned at his excited friend, but then his eyes glanced towards the door. He caught me staring and his grin faded into a guarded, suspicious look, one that I've been getting from him too much lately. I stared at him for a moment more, expressionless, and then walked away. I heard Danny close his bedroom door as I opened my own, that small click from making my heart heavier. He was shutting me out.

I closed my door as well, letting out a great sigh. I stood in the dark for a moment, clutching my sturdy books to my chest, wishing I knew what to do. Eventually, I flicked the light switch up, bringing my pink walls and multiple stuffed animals to life. I set my books on my desk and flopped onto the bed unceremoniously, disturbing the once perfect line of unicorns and rainbow colored teddy bears. Bearbert fell over with a flop, his over stuffed head hitting my pink comforter mutely.

I turned and gazed at my childhood friend for a while, wishing he could give me all the answers. Feeling a little silly, I picked him up and stared at his coal black eyes.

"Tell me Bearbert. What's Danny and Vlad up to?"

He didn't answer of course, I knew he wouldn't. He just gazed at me with those button eyes, a little string hanging from one of them and ominously reminding me of a tear. Frowning, I placed him back in his spot, straightening the rest of the animals.

The sun was still up, but I didn't feel like basking in its rays right now. I pulled the shade down and closed myself up in my room, looking to the pile of homework apathetically.

"Guess I should finish that."

I picked myself up and fell into the wooden desk chair, the silence starting to get to me. With the click of a few buttons on my stereo, I had Beethoven playing, the smooth violin echoing through the speakers. I had just recently found the CD, having lost it years ago. I was glad I found it; he's one of my favorite composers.

Calculus was a breeze, the long equations perfect for distracting my mind. I was sure to go as slow as possible, re-checking my work each time. All I had left to finish was a Psychology reading. By the time I got started on it the clock was approaching 7 o'clock. I worked slow again, reading the text book throughly. Too soon, I was completely done.

Luckily though, I had a couple new books to keep me distracted enough. Well, actually more like one book. I'm sure Danny only picked out The Psychology of Overbearing Sisters simply to taunt me. I closed up my homework and placed it neatly in my backpack. After kicking off my shoes and putting some light pajamas on, I fell onto my bed and grabbed The Workings Of The Misunderstood Mind, hearing the fresh spine crack as I opened it and bringing a smile to my face. I loved that sound.

Danny told us Vlad took him into town and he picked out gifts for each of us. Since I know Danny has no job, it was easy to guess that Vlad paid for them, but that didn't really bother me. I wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth, even if it was from a fruitloop. It was the thought that counts and the thought came from Danny, so I appreciated it just the same.

Taking a deep breathe and clearing my mind, I looked down at the small print and began to read.

_"So you're living in a world where where no one understands you..."_

I awoke with a jolt, complete and total silence pressing against my ear drums. No music was playing, my Beethoven CD long finished. Only the pale blue light of the moon slipped in through shades, the only glow in the pitch black room. Someone had turned my lights out.

I felt something heavy on my chest and looked down, finding my book open across my chest, already up to chapter six. My brain felt thick, like it always does when I wake up from reading. Blearily, I glanced at my clock, the bright 12:02am blinking green from my alarm. Why was I awake?

The call of nature tugged below my waist and I quickly understood. Repressing a groan, I pulled the book away and searched for a book mark, finding one in my bedside table and snuggling it between the pages. My lethargic body didn't want to move, but urinating on my bed was out of the question, so I forced myself up and stretched the sleepiness away for the moment.

One yawn later and I was shuffling down to the bathroom. The house was dead quiet and very dark. Shadows were resting on the floors and walls like spider webs, only the blue glow of the full moon lighting my way.

Once I reached the bathroom, it took little time to relieve myself. I forgot to brush my teeth, to I quickly took care of that, not forgetting to floss of course. I wanted to get back to my cozy bed, so I ambled back down the hall with the full intention of passing out the moment I got through my door way.

But I was stopped, however, by a sound from Danny's room.

I'd just passed his open door, glancing into the empty room and thinking nothing of it, expecting he was out ghost fighting, when a bright flash of light alerted me to his presence. It washed the walls as it escaped his room and I heard a relaxed sigh come from him. I was about to go in and see if he was alright when I heard him mutter something that stopped me dead in my tracks.

"Dammit Vlad, would it have killed you to be a little gentler?"

All the sleep from my body instantly vanished, my heart beat beginning to beat against my ribcage. I was frozen against the wall, unable to move.

I heard Danny wince quietly, little sounds of discomfort sneaking past the door frame. I had to know what was wrong. What was he doing at Vlad's mansion in the middle of the night?

Carefully, I moved closer to the door, my heart pumping madly now. I peaked a single eye past the door frame, gazing into Danny's room.

My little brother was gently pulling his shirt off, wincing when the fabric touched his back. My growing horror washed over me in waves as he finally managed to get the shirt over his head, throwing it to the ground.

Long red scratch marks ran up and down his pale back. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out those weren't from ghost fighting. He was looking in a mirror, an annoyed expression on his face. I could clearly see the deep red dots littering his chest, bite marks along his shoulders. Purple, finger sized bruises stood out against the skin on his hips, the perfect size for adult hands; they matched the hand sized bruises grabbing his arms.

My breath caught in my throat, my mind was imploding. I had to press my hands over my mouth to stop my heavy breathing from being detected, had to lean against the wall to keep from collapsing.

Danny continued to inspect himself, his annoyed expression slowly turning into a pleased one, almost satisfied. A smirk that had settled on his face expanded into a grin when he spied his back, a low chuckle rumbling in his chest.

"Have a little fun, Vladdie?"

Shaking his head, he moved up to his shoulders again, looking at the bites on his neck and shoulders with a frown.

"Ugh. Now I gotta wear that stupid make-up tomorrow." he mumbled.

I felt like such an idiot, such a complete and total idiot. He reached into the wall and pulled out Mom's missing tube of foundation, inspecting the amount left. I felt my head shaking in denial, wanting to refuse to believe what I was seeing. I couldn't watch any more and I tip-toed back to my room as best as I could on weak, shaky legs, still keeping my hands pressed over my mouth, eyes still frozen wide.

I didn't stop when I entered the safety of my room, stumbling to my bed and digging under the covers as fast as I could, dragging them practically over my head. My heart was still going a mile a minute, my breath still too shallow. I felt on the verge of hyperventilating as I trembled under the sheets, waiting for the shock to pass.

The silence of the house was now broken by the minute sounds coming from Danny's room, my ears some how picking up every scuffle he made. It seemed to take an eternity for him to go to bed. I don't know how long I laid there, brain buzzing and eyes wide. Finally, I heard the rustle of sheets and then no more, the silence of the house returning.

I didn't sleep all night, too busy being shocked, horrified, too busy denying. How could this happen? How could Danny not say anything? How...how could Vlad...Danny's fifteen for God's sake! Actually, even worse, he's technically _fourteen_!

Slowly, hot tears obscured my vision. I clutched my blankets tighter, feeling them fall, each one for my little brother. How could I have ignored all the signs? Those disappearances, the wistful expressions, the defensiveness. _Mom's missing make-up._ I should have protected him better. I shouldn't have let him go back to _his _place again. I should have stopped this.

God, how-no, _why_ did this happen? What on earth happened to Vlad liking my mother? He's always been crazy about her. Why the sudden change? It doesn't make any logical sense! How dare he do this!

I sniffed quietly, feeling anger rapidly swell within me. I couldn't let this go on. I had to save my little brother. After all theses months he's protected us, I let Vlad get to him, and now I have to fix it. I don't know how much damage Vlad has done, and I know, with how much that monster has Danny wrapped around his finger, Danny won't like it at first. But it's for his own good. I can't let him live in that lie.

I have to put a stop to it.

* * *

*cackling evilly* And so it begins!


	15. Chapter 15

Because I'm awesome I decided to post the next three chapters at once, just you guys didn't have to deal with horrible cliff hangers. Yes, bathe in my brilliance. Oh look, I _am_ as humble as Vlad! ;)

Seriously though, I hope I did this justice. Hopefully you will enjoy.

* * *

Sam PoV

* * *

I tapped my feet impatiently, waiting outside Danny's front door with Tucker.

"Maybe he woke up late?" He shrugged, clicking some more buttons on his PDA.

I sighed, hoisting my back pack higher and looking at my watch. If he took any longer we'd be late for school.

"If your so impatient why don't you just go drag him out yourself." Tucker suggested, not looking up from the screen.

"I would, but ever since Danny came home, his parents have put up psychotic alarms to keep out ghosts _and _humans. Danny warned us, remember?"

"Those are still up?" he looked at me, confused. "But Danny got home, like, two weeks ago."

Before I had the chance to reply I heard the muffled sound of heavy footsteps bounding down stairs, jumping and landing on the ground floor from within the house.

"Guys, I'm so sorry! I slept in." Danny burst through the door, panting.

"About time! Sam was about to leave with out you." Tucker jerked a thumb in my direction.

I punched him in the arm and he quickly returned to his PDA, muttering things about abuse. I ignored him as we headed down the sidewalk, making our way toward eight hours of prison.

"Good news." Tucker spoke up, still staring at the screen as he walked.

We looked at him expectantly.

"School's out in 28 days."

"Tucker, that's an entire month." Danny said in a flat voice.

"Yep. We'll be juniors in one month! Whoo!" He punched the air.

"Don't you think your getting a little excited just a tad bit early. Don't forget, we still have finals." I gave him a look, bringing down his high.

"Way to kill the optimism Sam." He grumbled sullenly.

I smiled.

"It's what I'm here for."

Danny yawned, stretching his arms high.

"Long night?" I asked sympathetically.

"You have no idea." he replied, a hint of that secretive smile flitting across his face again.

"I thought ghosts were attacking less." Tucker glanced back at Danny.

"They are, but that doesn't mean they don't still attack during the night. This one pounded me into the wall so many times I lost count." I got the impression that he was enjoying a private joke, but didn't ask. I've long since learned that Danny's jokes are morbid and gross.

He yawned again, rubbing his eyes. Tucker pressed a few more buttons on his PDA, lost in his techno-geek world. I led them through the streets, passing the time by pretending the dirty grays and brick reds of the city were vibrant and exotic colors. But a Nasty Burger cup rolled across the street and I sighed, feeling my illusion fade.

It wasn't long before we came upon the school grounds. Fellow classmates were ambling around like zombies, clustering around the front doors with tired eyes. We made our way into the school, pushing past people and fighting our way to our separate lockers. I waved bye to Danny and Tucker as I headed off to my own metal box, stuffed full of bats and spiders. The lock didn't actually work, so I banged on it a few times until it popped open. I never had to worry about kids looting my locker because everyone was too scared of what I'd do to them if they tried it.

I was pulling my stuff out for first period when I saw Jazz walk by. I stilled, looking at her with surprise. Her eyes were red and puffy with dark bags under them, like she'd been crying all night. She walked forward in a daze, almost like she was lost. She didn't see me as she walked by, plowing through crowds of students instead of politely saying excuse me like she usually does.

I made a mental note to ask Danny about it next period, wondering why he didn't mention it sooner. The bell started ringing, alerting me to the start of class. I hastily threw the rest of my books in my locker and slammed it shut, running off to Civics.

After more time than I care to count, the bell finally rang again, signaling the end of my lonely first period. Civics is usually long and boring, not to mention easy. It doesn't hold too much excitement for me. I got out of there as soon as I could, hoping to beat the cattle heard that usually stampeded through the hallways.

I hadn't forgotten about Jazz. In fact, I'd spent most of class writing a four worded letter to Danny and then doodling on it for the best part of the lecture. I think I had some pretty cool doodles on there, if I do say so myself.

I pushed through the halls, having already got my books for second period. I met up with Danny and Tucker like usual, once again mentally thanking what ever higher power placed Danny next to Tucker today. It had been so lonely, those two weeks without him. Especially the second week, knowing where he was and unable to do anything about it. Who knows what Danny had to put up with during those two weeks of staying with the fruitloop.

One thing's for sure though, Danny certainly is...different.

"Sam? Hello?"

A hand waved in front of my face, two ice blue eyes capturing me. He gave me his crooked grin, my favorite one, as I came to, pulling myself out of my thoughts.

"Sorry about that." I waved the moment away with an apologetic laugh. "To Lancers?"

I held my arms out, offering them as victims first.

"Jeez Sam, you're so generous." Danny rolled his eyes, adjusting his books in his arms and leading the way down the hall.

"You know how I love giving to the needy." I teased.

"Hey, if you're making fun of my grades again-"

The bell rang loudly, echoing through the hall. We all bolted the last ten feet, clamoring through the door just in time. Lancer gave us all dirty looks, but didn't say anything, turning to the board and immediately getting to work. We ambled to the back of the classroom a usual and dropped our selves heavily in the three desks clustered together, slowing our breathing.

Reluctantly, I pulled out my notebook and text book, turning to what ever the lesson for today was. But, seeing as I was in no mood for English, it was all for show. I pulled out the note from my pocket and handed it to Tucker who sat between us. As usual, Tucker nosily opened the letter, rose an eye brow at the doodles and wrote in his comments. Then he passed it to Danny.

Danny looked confused, but not at the doodles. He frowned at the paper, writing in his reply and then passing it to Tucker who passed it to me.

_What's up with Jazz?_

_What's up with all the doodles?_

_I didn't see Jazz this morning. She was gone when I got up. Is she upset? Yeah, and what's up with the doodles?_

I penciled in my response and passed it to Tucker, who commented as usual before handing it to Danny who wrote his response and then handed it back to Tucker who handed it to me. It's all a very confusing process, but basically it's just Tucker sticking his pencil into other people's conversation.

_The doodles are a result of prolonged boredom in first period. Jazz was a wreck when I saw her in the halls. She looked like she had been crying all night._

_I thought you liked Civics?_

_I came in around midnight, but I didn't hear anything. Did she look sick?_

_Yes Tucker, I like Civics, but today was boring. No, she just looked really upset._

_What's Lancer saying up there?_

_I don't know why she'd be so upset. Nothings happened._

_Tucker, butt out. Maybe you should talk to her._

_That was rude Sam. Maybe Jazz is upset cause you're so rude._

_I'll give it a try when I get home. _

_That's probably a good idea. And Tucker-shut up._

The rest of class was spent passing pointless notes, just something to kill the time. Unfortunately, it turned into a paper piece war, where Tucker and Danny folded little slivers of paper into tightly packed shapes and chucked it at each other, occasionally hitting me. I'd often respond with a full paper wad to the head, making sure Lancer's back was turned.

This is mostly what we've done in class ever since Danny came home. I remember sitting here without him, only Tucker's equally melancholy demeanor keeping me company. It had been easy to pay attention in class then. Lancer's droning had proved a decent distraction from my nightmares of Danny's fate. I'd been terrified that he'd been killed in the ghost zone, or that he was trapped some where with no way home. Turns out I'd kinda been right on the latter, he just wasn't as trapped as I thought he was.

I frowned, feeling my anger start up again. I'll never understand why he felt the need to help that fruitloop more than us. We were falling apart with out him-_I _was falling apart with out him. Vlad didn't deserve Danny's kindness. I wouldn't be surprised if that jerk went back on his promise not to attack Mr. Fenton. Then Danny would feel horrible and guilty, even though he would have nothing to feel guilty about. It would be all Vlad's fault.

I grit my teeth, gripping my pencil. Everything is always Vlad's fault. It's Vlad's fault that Danny is so exhausted and hurt from ghost fights. It's Vlad's fault that Danny is constantly put on edge, always looking out for his families safety. It's Vlad's fault Danny was gone those two week, and I was so alone. And it's all Vlad's fault that Danny is different now. That manipulative jerk did something to my best friend, I know he did.

Danny hides it well, what ever it was that happened to him. I think he doesn't want us to worry, but I always worry about him. The one thing I can't figure out is that...well...even though he's different, he's _happy._ But not in the I-just-won-a-million-dollars happy, it's more...dreamy, like he's floating on a cloud that none of us know about.

Like I said, he hides it well. I know Tucker hasn't noticed a thing, but if he paid close enough attention he'd see the glazed look Danny gets during class sometimes, or even when we're hanging out. Or the bounce he has in his step after those long hours of studying. He studies much more now that he's back from Vlad's and there are less ghost attacks, hours at a time even.

I suppose there's nothing bad happening to him, at least none that I can see. He's still Danny, of course, just a little different. There really isn't anything I can do about it either. Besides, Danny's back and he's not going to leave us for Vlad anymore, so why get worked up about it? He's happy, we're happy, and everything is just fine.

"Ms. Manson!" Lancer's harsh bark cut through my brain.

I jolted in my seat, suddenly remembering I was in the middle of class. Everyone was staring at me, including Danny and Tucker. I could see the confusion on Danny's face like a beacon.

"We called your name, like, five times." Tucker said quietly.

"If you'd be so kind as to join us for class, I think you'd be interested to know we're going to have a test on Monday over that materials we've covered today. Hopefully you've taken the appropriate notes." his severe eye turned to Danny and Tucker. "All three of you."

Luckily, the bell rang before we could wince in our teenage way of saying "Actually, we've goofed off all of class and have no idea what you're talking about." Everyone scrambled to get their books together, shoving them into bags or jumping up with them clutched tightly in their arms. Lancer watched the escape with an apathetic eye, coming to rest his gaze on Danny.

"Mr. Fenton, a word."

Danny grimaced, forcing his feet to march up to the desk. Me and Tucker moved slowly, hanging back to hear what Lancer was gonna say.

"Mr. Fenton, I understand that you've undergone a traumatic experience recently but that does not excuse goofing off in my classroom." He rose his voice and looked back to me and Tucker, "I suppose this goes for you two as well." He looked back to Danny. "While I'm impressed with your speed in finishing the make up work, I must remind you that we still have a month of school left. I'd appreciate it if you would take my lectures seriously."

"Yes Sir." Danny mumbled, blushing in shame.

Lancer nodded his head to the door and we all scrambled out as fast as we could.

"Dude, that's harsh." Tucker slapped Danny on the back sympathetically.

"Yeah, but I guess he's got a point. I should pay more attention." Danny shrugged.

"But you already spend hours studying by yourself. I think Lancer should lighten up." I threw in.

Danny was quiet, staring at the floor purposefully. I thought nothing of it as I turned down the hall and went off to my locker.

"See you guys at lunch!" I called over my shoulder, pushing passed students and fighting my way to my locker.

I heard Dash's loud "Hey Fenton!" from far behind me and sighed. Looks like Dash has finally ended his break from bullying Danny. When Danny had first returned, he hadn't even pushed him into a locker. We'd all agreed that Dash wasn't as retarded as he looked and that maybe he was giving Danny a well deserved break after the whole kidnapping thing. Unfortunately it seems like Dash's empathy has worn out and it's back to hiding inside soda machines and mysteriously vanishing for Danny.

I banged on my locker a few times, hastily throwing my english books in and pulling out my math stuff. The bell was sure to ring in a few minutes and I didn't want to be late for the quiz in Mr. Coleman's class.

The bell's shrill call echoed through the hallways just as I sat in my desk, surrounded by other gloomy looking kids whose names I didn't know. Mr. Coleman set out the quiz without a word and after a heavy sigh, I got started.

I was decent at math, not as bad as Danny, but not as good as Tucker. I finished the quiz in average time, drawing more doodles in my notebook as I waited for everyone else to finish. Danny and Tucker were in Health now, a class they both enjoyed despite the boring course work. It was basically Gym class with text books and pencils instead of dodge balls. It was a class that Danny and Tucker could pass and one that Dash couldn't, which was always a source of entertainment for the two vindictive teens.

A kid on my left was nervously chewing his finger nails off, littering the desk with the hard slices. The girl behind him was making disgusted faces, resembling something close to a gapping fish. Two guys across the room were laughing at her, discretely taking pictures with their phone. Ah, high school. Such a fine example of the domino effect.

My patience was nearing it's end by the time the bell rang. Mr. Coleman decided we had enough time to teach a new lesson when everyone was finished with the quiz. He tried to teach quadratics in twenty minutes and successfully turned every brain that actually paid attention into mush.

I moved as quickly as I could in the over crowded hallways, racing against my PR and hoping to beat Danny and Tucker to the lunch room. I couldn't compete with ghost powers though, and spied Danny casually leaning against the door to the cafeteria, a smug grin on his face that reminded me too much of Vlad. I pushed my shudder away, refusing to expand on that thought, instead going up to Danny with a smile and waiting for Tucker.

"I'm impressed. That was twelve seconds faster than last time." Danny grinned.

"Yeah? Well lets see you beat me without cheating. I'd kick your butt."

"I know. That's why I cheat." He replied, looking over to Tucker as the techno geek came panting up.

That comment bothered me more than I let on. It sounded like something Vlad would do, and the fact that I had just related Danny to Vlad twice in the past thirty seconds did not sit well with me.

"Sam? You coming?" Danny looked at me, his half smile wiping away all my uncomfortable feelings.

"Yeah. I'm coming." I smiled back at him, hurrying to catch up.

We took our trays of mystery food outside to enjoy the sun. Tucker lapped up the pile of gunk on his tray like a dog, ignoring my words as I tried to tell him the food he was eating couldn't possibly be edible. Danny's look of disgust wasn't as pronounced as mine. He quietly munched on his salad, muttering things about vile lunch ladies.

No one bothered us and we were left alone to our time together. Before Danny disappeared, there would always be a ghost attack during lunch, but now all was quiet, something all of us appreciated. I tried not to think about how it was because of Vlad that we could have this lunch together.

"Did you guys hear about the arrest of those two robbers?" Tucker asked, having finally finished absorbing his meal.

"What two robbers?" Danny asked curiously, taking a sip of chocolate milk.

"Oh right, you haven't heard. Well these two guys have been jumping around the states for a while, robbing everything with a foundation and anyone with a pair of legs. They finally got themselves in the news a few weeks back after they passed some record for most money stolen or something like that. Anyways, they were last seen here in Illinois, but they finally caught them." Tucker looked over the news paper he had in his hands that wasn't there twenty seconds ago.

"Uh...where did you get that-"

"It says they were caught in a Wisconsin parking garage."

Danny spewed his milk everywhere, eyes going wide.

"Let me see that!" He grappled for the newspaper, eyes running over the fine black print rapidly the second it was in his grasp.

I watched as a grin broke out on his face, eyes alighting with mirth. He started cracking up laughing, dropping the newspaper to the ground. I picked it up, scanning the picture of two beat up, scruffy looking men in jail suits. They looked as though they hadn't taken a shower in a long while.

"What's so funny?" I asked as Danny got a hold of himself.

"I'm the one that beat them up and left them in that parking garage!" he bust out into laughter again at the sight of mine and Tucker's dumbfounded looks.

"What? How?" Tucker looked lost.

"Okay. Me and Vlad took a trip into the city right?" he smiled, launching into the story. I frowned a bit. Why does everything always come back to Vlad?

"We parked in that parking garage and-"

"You drove? Why didn't you guys just fly there?" Tucker interrupted.

"With the way that fruitloop drives we did fly." Danny grumbled, but his smile quickly returned and he shrugged. "I dunno know why we drove. Probably for appearances or something. Anyways, we parked in that parking garage and when we came back to go home those two guys tried to hold me for ransom."

"No way!" Tucker shouted, a grin coming onto his face as well.

"Why didn't you tell us about that?" I asked, surprised myself.

"I honestly forgot." Danny shrugged, "The uglier one held a knife to my face and the other demanded that Vlad hand over his wallet and the keys to his Volvo."

Tucker whistled lowly.

"Bet Vlad didn't like that."

"Damn straight he didn't. But I beat the crap out of them before Vlad could make a move. It was awesome. We left the two muggers moaning in the corner of the garage. I guess they didn't move fast enough and were caught by the police." Danny took the last bite of his salad, smiling at the memory.

"What did Vlad do?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Danny looked at me curiously.

"What did he do when you beat those two guys up?"

"Um, he just told me good job and we left." Danny watched me curiously, wondering if that was what I meant. "It was no big deal." He shrugged again.

"No big deal? He didn't check to see if you were alright?" I frowned, figuring he wouldn't.

"Why would he need to? I've handled worse than a couple muggers. He knows I can take care of myself." Danny looked confused, as though not understanding what I was asking.

"Oh. Yeah, I guess your right." I shrugged, hiding my true feelings. I didn't want to start a fight with Danny, especially not one about Vlad. If Danny couldn't see that Vlad obviously didn't care about him as much as he thinks he does, then that was his own choice. He'd see the truth one day, and when he did, I'd be there for him.

"So how many cars does Vlad have?" Tucker asked, that annoying gleam coming to his eyes that all males have when talking about cars.

I didn't pay much attention to the conversation. I didn't really care about how many cars Vlad owned. Probably half the rain forest's worth. The rest of my lunch was spent cloud watching. I almost didn't hear the bell ring, but Danny shook me from my thoughts just in time.

After dumping our trays and fetching our sketchbooks, we bid Tucker good bye and headed off to Art class, the only class we had together. Ms. Hue, the art teacher, was a very laid back and liberal person. Her class usually didn't start until about ten minutes after the bell, so we had plenty of time to stroll through the emptying halls.

"So," I started, feeling a little awkward, "How was Health?"

"It was okay." He shrugged, totally relaxed. He turned to me with a grin. "The teacher had to spend over twenty minutes describing the basic functions of the brain to Dash though, providing me and Tucker with jokes for weeks."

I laughed, imagining Dash's screwed up face of concentration.

"What about your Math class?" he asked.

"Boring. Coleman tried to teach quadratics in twenty minutes and fried every brain in the class room."

"Qua-what?"

"You'll find out soon enough." I assured him with a pat on the shoulder, my tone indicating that he'd hate it.

Danny groaned as we approached the class room. Ms. Hue was sketching something out the window as all the students currently present talked in animated voices or listened to music. Danny and I snagged our favorite table by the window, the one with the most graffiti on it. Ms. Hue subtly encouraged students to write on the tables. She had mentioned to us one day that she enjoys reading vandalism.

Me and Danny went to the back of the room and pulled out our paints. A few days ago Ms. Hue started an acrylic landscaping project, telling each of us to paint a landscape that has meaning to us or one that we like. When working on projects, students have their own responsibility to get it finished by the deadline, so it was probable that Ms. Hue wouldn't actually do any teaching to day.

"Damn. My brown is all dried up." Danny frowned, peeling up the foil from his paint palette and sticking his bottom lip out in an adorable way.

"Mine's all good." I sent him a teasing smile and skipped back to the table with my canvas, giving the half completed painting a once over before getting my brushes.

Danny was mixing colors, getting a dark, shadowy shade of brown. Eventually, he met me at the table, brushes and a cup of water in hand. He laid down his own half completed canvas, smiling at it before getting started.

We worked in silence, the brush strokes moving colors around. I peered over at Danny's painting, seeing an open field with trees spontaneous placed here and there. The grass was emerald green and the sky and perfect blue. Pearl white clouds rested in the air, balancing with the green leaves of the many trees.

"Where'd you get that picture? A story book?" I teased him, nudging his shoulder.

"Nope." he smiled, fanning his brush over the grass, giving them sunny highlights.

He didn't elaborate more on the source of his picture, so I returned to my own painting of the Nevada desert, adding in a few more sandy rocks. The class went by quickly, as it always does for me. Too soon, Ms. Hue was calling for us to clean up our tables, warning that if we didn't screw the paint lids on tight she'd pour them down our pants. A few kids snickered, but we knew better than to take her lightly. You never mess with Ms. Hue and her paints.

The bell rang and we moved on to our next classes. I shared my science course with Paulina, Dash, and Kwan, so I don't like to think about the goings of of that particular class. The last class of the day, Economics, was something we (thankfully) had together. Mr. Sandlin, our teacher, was quite possibly the best economics teacher around. He believed in teaching the students what they needed to know and then he'd worry about the curriculum. Currently, we were working on how to balance a checkbook and manage money to raise your personal wealth, something my parents have never had to worry about. It was surprisingly easy, and with his ever constant streams of how great Elvis was and what an inspiration Rocky Balboa is to economists everywhere, the class was never boring.

But, I was always happy to hear the end of the bell ring. We rushed out of the class the moment it ended, dumping our books in our lockers and bolting for the door. Due to the massive crowds of teenagers we had to fight through, the process took much longer than necessary. Eventually, though, we got to taste sweet liberation.

"Freedom!" Tucker yelled as he burst out the doors. Danny quickly pulled him aside, saving him from being trampled by the rest of the students also celebrating freedom.

We didn't linger on the school grounds. That's something Jazz would do. As we walked farther and farther away from the school, the sound of a hundred buzzing teenagers floated away on the air. Soon, it was just me, Danny, and Tucker, walking home to the soundtrack of Amity Park.

"Another day, another dollar." Tucker sighed, placing his hands behind his head.

"Tucker. We don't get paid to go to school." Danny reminded him.

"Says you. I get my money in the form of Paulina's tight jeans." He gave a wolfish grin that I gagged at. Danny laughed lightly, but said nothing else.

"Oh come on Danny. You can't tell me you don't pop your-"

"_Tucker!_" I hissed.

"Uh...you can't tell me you don't think she's hot."

"Yeah, she's hot." He gave a bored shrug, obviously just agreeing with Tucker to agree with him.

"That's it?" Tucker imitated his shrug, looking incredulous. "Come on, she's _smokin!_"

"Can we please stop talking about this?" I grumbled, feeling my blood boil at the thought of that shallow witch. How any male could find her attractive I'll never know. She's so fake and narrow minded! I mean, how could anyone put up-

"You better watch out Tuck. Sam's looking ready to massacre your fantasy." Danny's voice broke my thought ranting, giving me a wary look.

Tucker, having been on the receiving end of my angry rants, knew better than to keep yapping. He promptly shut up, turning a docile head to his trusting PDA for love. A PDA that was probably loaded with shots of Paulina but hey! Who am I to judge?

"So do any of you know what that test is over on Monday?" Danny asked.

"Lancer's test?"

"Yep."

"Not a clue."

"Hm. Bummer."

"Yep."

"You two don't seem very concerned." I rose an eye brow.

"It's Friday, we've got like, an entire weekend to prepare." Tucker said flippantly.

"Yeah, and I've already got a science test to worry about. At least I actually know whats on that test." Danny shouldered his backpack, looking both ways on the street before taking the lead across.

"Dude, are you gonna study _again_?" Tucker asked.

"I hung out with you guys yesterday." Danny glanced guiltily back at us. "I should spend some time studying today."

"But it's Friday. Can't you let up this once?" Tucker pleaded.

"Didn't we all go to the movies last Friday?" Danny asked, pointedly looking ahead.

"Yeah, but that was a whole seven days ago. Come on man. Movies, pizza, video games. My place." Tucker bounded up to his side, swinging an arm around his shoulder.

Danny looked uncomfortable, glancing away from Tucker's hopeful face and slipping out from under the arm around his shoulder.

"Why not tomorrow night? I just wanna get this last bit of studying in while I've still got school on the brain. Then we can party all weekend, okay?" Danny shot us a forced grin.

Fenton Works was rising up in the distance, the large hulking Op Center impossible to miss. Tucker sighed and gave a reluctant okay. Danny shrugged apologetically, but looking relieved.

"You sure you don't wanna hang out, Danny?" I asked one last time.

"Tomorrow, I promise." He gave me a half smile and I sighed as well, relenting to his request.

"Fine. But we're watching every Steven King movie I have." I warned, giving him a dark smirk that dared him to say otherwise.

"I don't think we'd be able to fit that many movies into our entire summer break." He joked.

"Probably."

We were almost to Fenton Works. Jazz hasn't passed us, like she usually does, but maybe she was staying after school to study or something.

"You still gonna talk to Jazz?" I asked Danny.

"Yeah, I think she's still at school though."

"What do you think she's upset about?" Tucker asked.

"I dunno. Could be anything." he shrugged. "Maybe she's finally snapped from Mom and Dads ghost obsession."

"If that was it she would have moved to Tebecuador by now."

"Tebecuador isn't a country, Tucker." I said flatly.

"...I knew that."

I rolled my eyes, sharing an exasperated glance with Danny. The steps to his front door were upon us, and Danny waved good bye.

"Guess this is my stop."

"See you tomorrow dude." Tucker waved.

"Don't hurt your brain with all that studying." I warned.

Danny stuck his tongue out at me in a brilliant display of maturity and waved good bye one last time as we parted ways. I watched him disappear behind his front door and turned back to Tucker, a sigh escaping my lung.

"Aw, miss him already Sam?" he teased.

"Shut up Tucker." I grumbled, blushing slightly.

"Well, not much to look forward to tonight." Tucker shrugged, adjusting the strap to his bag.

"Says you. I've got an in home theater and a bowling alley. I think my boredom problems are pretty much taken care of." I smirked.

"Bowling's fun." Tucker said not so subtly, looking at me pointedly.

"Yes, Tucker, you can come over and bowl. My Grandma needs a new ass to kick anyways."

"Hey..." He pouted, glaring.

I laughed at his dorky expression. We traveled our way down the sidewalk, our houses conveniently along the same path even though we were both going to my place. Tucker stopped in his house for a moment to drop off his bags and tell his Mom he was hanging at my place, and then we were off again.

"So what time do your parents get home?" he asked me.

"Their always haunting the halls of the house, too good for normal jobs like the rest of the world." I said grimly.

"Ah. Well at least they don't create mini-explosions in the basement and bring dinner to life like Danny's do."

"Sounds like more fun than tea and dress up time." I muttered.

Before Tucker could reply though, there came the low rumble of a car engine from close behind us. We glanced to the road and saw a familiar little red car pull up beside us. I was surprised to see Jazz sitting in the driver's seat, a stricken look on her face.

"I need to talk to you guys."

I looked at Tucker, his expression of worry matching mine. Jazz looked worse than when I saw her this morning. Her eye were more blood shot, and her face was deathly pale.

"Jazz, what's wrong?" I asked, coming closer to the passenger window.

She gritted her teeth, shaking her head madly and motion for us to get in the car.

"Just get in. I need to tell you something." her knuckles were gripping the steering wheels so hard they were a pearly white.

I glanced at Tucker again, but didn't hesitate to slid into the passenger seat. I've never seen Jazz like this, almost like she'd lost it. It had to be serious if it could cause such a dramatic reaction from her.

"Are we going to go get Danny?" Tucker asked as he pulled the door closed, looking at Jazz expectantly.

"No." she whispered, pressing hard on the gas and peeling away.

"Jazz, what's wrong?" I asked again, more urgency in my voice. She was driving past the speed limit, something I don't think she's ever done, even in her nightmares.

"It...It's Danny." she choked. "Somethings wrong with him."

I felt my blood go cold as my entire body stilled. Jazz's erratic driving didn't matter anymore. I stared at her broken expression, a bad feeling rising in my stomach.

"What's wrong with Danny?" Tucker panicked slightly, pulling head up between the passenger and driver seats.

Jazz just shook her head though, and pressed on the gas harder, her trembling lips mashed together. We were stuck with waiting as she flew down the road. I could feel my patience thinning, my worry for Danny bubbling over as Jazz's prolonged silence started scaring me.

Just as I was about to demand an explanation from her, I spied Danny's house rapidly approaching. The RV was gone.

"Where's Mr. and Mrs. Fenton?" Tucker asked, noticing the lack of assault vehicle as well.

"They went back to some supply shop to return some weird machine or something." she replied in a strained voice, pulling into the empty space next to the brick house.

Without another word she cut the car off, jumping out and motioning for us to follow. I huffed angrily as she hurried us, still leaving us in the dark. I grabbed my spider backpack and followed her inside, Tucker close behind me. The moment Jazz pulled us inside Fenton Works my patience ran out.

"Jazz, what the heck is going on?" I yelled, dropping my bag to the floor and refusing to move another inch until she told us.

She looked between Tucker and I, twisting her hands nervously. I could see in her eyes she was about to explode and a second later she did.

"Danny's gone back to Vlad's!" she wailed, the words spilling out of her mouth.

"_What?_" Tucker gasped, his gapping mouth mirroring my own.

"What do you mean he's gone back to Vlad's?" I didn't understand. Danny was studying.

"I mean he's gone back to Vlad's!" She wailed again, pulling at her hair and walking to the couch. She fell into the cushions and buried her face in her hands.

"Why?" Tucker gapped, shaking his head.

Jazz sniffed loudly, her body trembling. Concern washed over me as Jazz broke down in front of us, looking so frail. I immediately sat on the couch next to her, placing a hand on her back.

"Jazz what's happened? Why is Danny at Vlad's again?" I said in a calm but urgent voice.

"He-he..." she shook her head, coughing a few times. "I think he's been going their ever since he came home, two weeks ago."

"That's insane. We totally would have noticed." Tucker was quick to disbelieve.

"Maybe you haven't noticed," she snapped, "But Danny's been disappearing for hours at a time ever since he came home."

"No he hasn't." I shook my head slowly, "He's been here. I would have noticed if he disappeared for hours on end."

"But he has! Haven't you noticed anything different about him? You guys don't hang out as much as you used to, and there are less ghost attacks! Where do you think he is now?" she asked in a hard voice, knowing our answer would be a lie.

"He...he told us he was studying."

"Danny came in after school today and told me he was leaving to hang out with you guys."

I couldn't believe this.

"But...he wouldn't lie to us." Tucker said, his voice sure.

She looked up at us with a mournful stare, taking a shaky breathe.

"I don't understand." I said in a stony voice, pushing all my hurt back. "Why would Danny lie to us?"

Jazz's voice caught in her throat. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, obviously trying to tell us something.

"Vlad...Vlad did something to him." she whispered.

Tucker swore next to me, pulling at his red barre. I felt my anger boil over instantly, my fists clenching. I hated that fruitloop.

"What did that monster do." I hissed through clenched teeth.

"He-" but Jazz didn't seem able to finish. She clenched her clasped hands, silently building strength. I forced my anger under control, retaining a hard glint in my eyes. Jazz finally took a deep breath, her voice coming out a little detached.

"Danny has been acting strange since the day he returned. Sam, I'm sure you've noticed." she glanced at me and I gave her a curt nod. Tucker looked lost.

"What do you mean?"

"He's...been kinda different." I wasn't sure how to explain it. "He'll get these dazed looks like he's in his own world, and sometimes he...he get his extra spring in his step."

Tucker was giving us a blank stare, obviously not understanding what the big deal was.

"He acts like a love struck school girl." Jazz said bluntly.

His eyes widened.

"Wait, he's got a girlfriend?"

I felt my heart sink, a little black wave of depression threatening to over whelm me. I felt like such an idiot. That's _exactly _what he's been acting like. But the thought of Danny having a girlfriend made me so upset and jealous that it kinda freaked me out. It had to be something else, right? Danny wouldn't go through the trouble of lying and deriving us just for a secret girlfriend.

But then Jazz shook her head and I felt relief wash over me.

"No, I...I don't think he has a girlfriend." Her voice implied that she knew something else, something so much worse. I felt my worry start back up again, my stomach grow heavy.

"Then what's going on?" I asked, afraid of the answer but needing to know. Jazz glanced at me and then back to the floor, talking to the carpet.

"Last night I woke up in the middle of the night. I had to go to the bathroom and I noticed that Danny wasn't in his room. I figured he was ghost fighting and didn't think too much of it, but on my way back to my room, he appeared in his room." her hands were clenched tightly, her voice hard.

"He didn't see me and he still doesn't know I saw him but...I heard him say...he said..." she started wringing her fingers together, her skin clammy. "Well he mentioned Vlad and that he was at his house. So I spied on him, wondering what he was doing at Vlad's mansion in the middle of the night."

I had the feeling that Danny had said something else along those lines, but I didn't push.

"He took off his shirt and he-" her voice cracked as tears glistened in her eyes. "He was covered in bruises and-and he had b-bite marks on his neck a-and hickey's all over his chest."

I felt my stomach squirm, the feeling of insects crawling on my skin. An icy chill ran down my spin at what Jazz was implying, the notion completely impossible. Tucker looked slightly sick, unable to take his eyes off Jazz's sobbing form.

"Guys," she turned her tear streamed face to us, "I think Vlad raped Danny."

The air disappeared from my chest, my lungs felt restricted. My empty stomach was crawling with maggots, nausea bubbling. I couldn't get a grasp on what Jazz was saying, the words were too impossible. There was no way Vlad was that crazy, and there was no way Danny would keep something like that from us. It had to be a mistake.

"Jazz, that's impossible." Tucker voiced my thoughts, clutching his head weakly and falling into the couch next to us. "He's been happier than I've ever seen him since he returned home. People aren't happy after they get raped. Besides we would have noticed if Danny had bite marks all over his neck."

"And he went back." I pitched in, my brain telling me that arguing against it would disprove her horrible words. "Why would he go back if Vlad...did that."

But she was shaking her head, her sorrowful expression doing nothing to quell the sick feeling in my stomach.

"He stole my moms foundation to cover the evidence. I saw it last night." She took a deep breathe, unable to speak above a whisper, "You can't use logic when it comes to the human brain. The things your mind can do when put under enough stress is incredible, especially the younger you are. You can develop entire, separate personalities just as a coping mechanism. If something so traumatic happened to Danny, it would be easy for his mind to twist that situation into something more bearable. I think he actually believes that Vlad loves him, and that's why he keeps going back. That's why he's been floating around on cloud nine, and that's why he's there now."

The sick feeling in my stomach only expanded, twisting inside of me like a sticky cesspool.

"Come on Jazz." I pleaded weakly. "You're...you're kidding, right?" It was my last hope.

But her expression shot down any chance of that. I stared numbly at the furniture in front of me, not really seeing it.

"Today after school," she continued, "Danny came home and told me he was going to be hanging out with you guys all night. He left out the front door, but I hid in the lab, and barely three minutes later he came down and floated into the portal. Do you remember him telling us that Vlad's portal is only ten minutes from ours?"

The question was pretty much rhetorical. Of course we remembered, which meant that there was no doubt that Danny was indeed going to Vlad's house.

"We can't let this keep happening. I _won't_ let this keep happening, and I need your help." Jazz's said in a hard voice, stronger than before.

"Of course we're gonna help." Tucker stared at her incredulously. "We can't let that jerk mess with Danny's head like that, we have to stop him."

"It's not that simple." Jazz warned, sitting up straighter as a plan of action was finally being put into effort. "With the way Danny's thinking, and with how much Vlad has him wrapped around his finger, Danny will probably fight against us."

I didn't relish the idea of fighting against Danny on anything, but if it was for his own good I'd make an exception. As it was, I couldn't wait to tear that crazy fruitloop limb from limb. There was no way I was gonna leave Danny in the clutches of that scumbag. He's always been there for me, and I intend to return the favor in full.

"So," I asked, a fire in my eyes, "What's the plan?"


	16. Chapter 16

* * *

Sam PoV

* * *

Despite what Jazz told me and no matter how illogical it was, I still couldn't get the thought out of my head that maybe we were wrong. Maybe Vlad and Danny were the enemies they'd always been, and that when we showed up on Vlad's door step we'd see them fighting tooth and nail like always. None of the evidence or signs we had supported this, of course, but still, I couldn't shake the feeling that maybe we were wrong. Perhaps it was just blind hope.

"Tucker, don't bring that, we already have four of them." Jazz snapped as she frantically ran around the lab, throwing ghost weapon after ghost weapon into the specter speeder.

The portal was up and running, it's eerie green glow cast along the metallic walls and floor of the ghost lab. I organized everything as best as I could in the speeder, stacking it in neat piles and sticking guns and nets in drawers, making plenty of room for us to drive in and grab Danny.

Tucker looked a little lost in the ocean of lab equipment, and I couldn't blame him. The basement was a complete mess, yet Jazz seemed to know her way around perfectly. She easily maneuvered around half built machines and trigger-tender guns, picking out every useful tool we could possibly need.

"Alright Jazz, that's enough. We gotta get out of here before your parents show." I called, motioning for her and Tucker to get into the speeder.

"Just a few more things. I wanna be extra sure that we're prepared." she called, rummaging through a box.

"Jazz, we're fine, we've _got_ to go." I called exasperatedly.

She stood straight, looking around the lab with a pained look before finally relenting. They jumped in quickly, Tucker knocking over a set of jack o' nine tails in the process. I felt a rush of exhilaration as he fired up the engine, hooking his PDA up to the weapons main frame. Jazz was in the back, throwing weapons already attached to a handy utility belt to me. The metal clasp fastened around my waist, it's light click bringing the full realization of what we were about to do.

I felt butterflies dancing in my stomach as the speeder rose into the air, turning toward the glowing portal slowly. The ectoplasm within twisted around and around, almost hypnotizing.

"Hang on Danny," I whispered as Tucker pressed on the accelerator, "We're coming."

With a jolt of speed, the giant machine flew into the world of green, instantly swallowed up by the ectoplasm that made up the ghost zone. I didn't have time to take in the beauty of the dead world. The hundreds of floating purple doors and twisting narrow caves were lost to me as I turned to the control panel.

"How do we find Vlad's portal?" Jazz asked, looking out the window as though expecting it to pop up out of the abyss.

"Well," I began slowly, "I know that each of those doors leads into another ghosts lair."

"What?" Jazz spun around, jaw dropping. "But there are _hundreds_ of doors."

"I know, and Vlad isn't necessarily a ghost, so I don't think his mansion is behind any of these doors." I assured her. "We should probably look for a portal entrance that looks like yours. It's only ten minutes away, where ever it is. It can't be far."

Tucker was fiddling with his PDA again, pressing multiple buttons so fast that I got a little dizzy.

"I know it's in here." he mumbled to himself, frowning. When his face brightened and he pressed another button with success, I knew he had found whatever it was he was looking for.

"Ah ha! Here it is! Sam, remember when we tried to map out the ghost zone?" He asked, plugging some cord into his PDA and then pressing a few buttons on the control panel.

I blinked in surprise as our meager map popped up out of a hologram screen, complete with Danny and Tucker's mini tic-tac-toe game in the bottom corner.

"I took a picture of the map we have so far and saved it in my PDA in case we ever lost it. It's not much, but at least we know where Vlad's portal isn't. We can safely say it's not to the west or south." He scanned the scribbled map, thinking to himself.

"Wow Tucker. I'm impressed." I said, my eye brows raised.

"You guys tried to map out the ghost zone?" Jazz looked incredulous, "Don't you know that this zone is infinite? Mom and Dad sent out a probe the day we turned the portal on and it's still going."

"Yeah, Danny told us, but we figured we should map stuff close by so we roughly know where everything is, assuming they don't float away and move somewhere else of course." Tucker squinted at the map. "Hey look! I think I found-oh, nevermind, it's just a thumb print."

"Look, lets just head in the direction of Skulker's lair." I sighed impatiently.

"Skulker? Why?" Jazz and Tucker looked back at me with blank faces.

"We know Skulker works for Plasmius, right? So maybe Vlad's portal is close to his lair." It was a long shot, I know, but we didn't have any other leads.

They glanced at each other and shrugged, knowing that was the best we had. Tucker sat in the driver's seat, taking control of the autopilot and turning the speeder around sharply, almost throwing me and Jazz to the floor. I dragged myself into the passenger seat, giving him a dirty look.

"What? This thing is touchy." he defended himself, turning his eyes back to the zone and pressing on he gas.

"How long does it take to reach Skulker's lair?" Jazz asked.

"Roughly fifteen minutes, which means the portal would be between us and that psychotic hunter. Keep your eyes open." I scanned every scrap of surface and ectoplasm I could find, eyes peeled for anything.

We passed awkward rock formations, mind twisting caves, and foul looking pools. Little, weaker ghost's would occasionally throw rocks or ecto-beams at us, but it was too much of a hassle to get rid of them, so Tucker just threw up a shield. Jazz's eyes were also pressed against the glass, taking in as much as she could.

"Tucker, can you slow down? I can barely see a thing." she huffed, squinting her eyes.

I felt the speeder slow, more things coming into focus. Little dead trees sprouted from hunks of floating black ground, looking like gnarled hands. Tombstones haphazardly jutted out of the ground, the occasional glowing green hand breaking through the surface. All the stones either said Jane or John Doe. I shivered, and looked away. The Ghost zone was too creepy even for my tastes.

"This is so crazy! It's like finding a needle in a hay stack! How are we gonna pick out one portal in a world with thousands of them?" Jazz pulled at her hair, glancing at her watch.

I sighed, wishing Jazz would calm down. We passed floating doors, an old textbook, boxes, archways, a giant purple foot ball, two broken pianos, a twisted tree. The most random of things resided in this mystery realm and we couldn't find the one thing that actually belongs here. I mean come on, a giant purple foot ball? Where the heck did that come from?

"This is so impossible." I muttered, my own patience fraying as I glanced at my watch as well. Danny's already been at Vlad's for two hours now.

"Maybe his portal is hidden?" Tucker suggested, looking around as well.

"Sounds like something he would do." Jazz agreed.

Oh wait. Giant purple foot ball. Duh.

"There!" I yelled, pointing.

Tucker and Jazz immediately snapped their directions to where I was pointing, Jazz getting it.

"Where? I don't-" Tucker looked around, lost.

"Behind the football." I explained, pressing a button and pulling up a large gun outside the speeder. With one shot I blew the stupid pigskin to pieces, revealing a large glowing green portal much like the Fenton's.

Jazz and Tucker cheered happily, Tucker punching the air. The open portal renewed my determination, my nervousness with it. Our victory was short lived, however, as our situation brought the momentary high back down.

"Okay. So you all know the plan?" Jazz asked, handing Tucker a utility belt.

We all set our game face, nodding curtly. Tucker clasped the belt to his waist, quickly grabbing his PDA.

"You sure your going to be able to bust any locks we run into with that?" I asked, hoping Tucker's tech would be a match against the billionaires security.

"Yeah." He licked his lips nervously, "Their not expecting us, so we shouldn't have a problem."

Jazz nodded, looking into our eyes with a blazing fire.

"You guys ready?" she asked.

Our swift nod was enough and we instantly went into action. Tucker went back to the control panel and pressed a few buttons, opening the hatch and securing four lines to the portal, keeping the speeder steady. A ramp closed the space between the open hatch and the portal and we quickly clambered across.

"Lets hope they're not in the lab." Tucker mumbled.

We were lucky. A dark and empty lab met our wide gazes, the portal serving as the only light. We looked around the pristine lab, each counter top glistening with shine. Mysterious tools and sharp weapons hung neatly from the walls, casting eerie shadows from the light of the portal.

"Where's the exit?" Jazz whispered, eyes peeled for the slightest twitch of movement.

Me and Tucker turned our flashlights on, lighting up the dark corners. The beam passed over more tools and more empty counter space, finally reaching the outline of a door.

"There!" I hissed, silently bounding for the security panel.

Tucker was quickly in front of me, pulling a cord from his PDA and attaching it to the panel. Me and Jazz watched with mounting fear as he pressed button after button, his frown never moving. If we couldn't get past this door we couldn't save Danny, something we all knew.

"Ah ha!" He grinned and a light beep echoed around the lab, accompanied by a little green light.

Relief washed over us as the door smoothly slid open, revealing another part of the lab, just as pristine as the one behind us.

"It think this is the main chamber." Tucker whispered, flashlight roaming around the room.

"You make it sound like a prison." I muttered.

"It's Vlad's creepy ghost lab. It's about as close to prison as you can get." Tucker replied.

"Are those stairs?" Jazz asked, her disembodied voice coming from behind us.

Her beam lit up a staircase, leading up and out of the foreboding lab. Smiles broke out on our faces and we ran toward them, not hesitating to climb as fast as we could.

"Theres no security panel." Tucker stated, confusion in his voice.

He scanned the concrete wall in front of us, not even finding a crack for a doorway.

"I don't get it, where's the door?" he took a step back, frowning.

"You don't thing he doesn't have one, since he's half ghost and all, do you?" Jazz squeaked in a scared voice.

"Here, let me try." I pressed my hands against the wall an pushed as hard as I could against the concrete. I couldn't believe that there wasn't way out of this lab without ghost powers. What if something happened and Vlad lost his powers?

"Guys, help me." I grunted, pushing with all my might.

They threw themselves at the door, grunting and straining with effort. Miraculously, our work paid off, and the concrete slowly grated forward, falling into a little crevice and making a clicking sound echo around us. We looked around nervously, waiting for the giant boulder to fall and bring on an instant Indiana Jones reenactment, but instead the concrete wall slid upward, sliding smoothly.

We all breathed a sigh of relief, the first part of the mission completed. Before us was a massive study, full of books, chairs, and tables. Some of the tables were littered with papers and maps, other with open books. Of to the side there was an elegant desk with an expensive looking laptop on it. Papers covered the desk, along with a couple books weighing them down.

A single picture frame sat next to the laptop, it's gold edges quickly catching my eye. I slowly moved toward it, suspicion budding in my chest. Disgust quickly shadowed my face as I stared at the picture of Danny. It was a windy day and he was wearing a tight jacket and scarf, smiling and waving happily at the camera. It was a great picture of him, yeah, but the fact that it was on Vlad's desk sent a surge of hate and anger coursing through me. I promptly turned it face down, unable to rid myself of my stormy expression.

Tucker and Jazz didn't need to ask why I was so angry, and without a word we slipped out of the private study. I felt like a secret agent as I slinked down the halls, my ears peeled for the slightest noise. My friends followed behind me like shadows, hands hovering over various weapons on their belts.

The house was almost too quiet, or maybe it was just too big. Pointless pictures lined the walls, ugly statues filled space. It was like a haunted house, just creepier and clean. It seemed like ages before we finally came to a set of stairs, deep red carpet leading the way down. Our footsteps were silenced in the soft material, our hands gliding over the smooth wood of the railing with ease.

"What floor are we on?" Tucker whispered, but I shrugged. There was no telling in this ridiculous maze of a house.

Minutes stretched on as we lost ourselves in the winding hallways, my fearful apprehension melting into impatience. Danny was right, Vlad is excessive.

"This is so stupid." I grumbled.

"No, look, another staircase." Jazz pointed into the distance.

"Finally." I breathed, taking the lead.

It was obviously the grand staircase, splitting into two sets of stairs on either side of the massive entrance. The front door was down below, ornate carvings set into the dark wood. A glassy floor reflected the beautiful chandelier hanging high above, no doubt real crystals sparkling in the light. The high class décor didn't really register in my mind though, as a pair of muffled voices were floating up to us.

"Hear that?" I whispered, straining my ears.

Tucker and Jazz practicality stopped breathing, listening hard. Their eyes widened as they heard the sounds too, nodding frantically.

"Is that Danny and Vlad?" Tucker whispered.

"Only one way to find out."

The butterflies in my stomach doubled as I slowly descended the staircase, almost afraid of what I'd see. Maybe we were wrong. Hopefully we were wrong. Jazz and Tucker followed behind me, their shallow breathe almost undetectable. As we descended, the voices became louder, although still too muffled to understand what they were saying.

When my toes touched down on the ground floor, I half expected alarms to go off. The fact that we had gotten this far without a hitch was miraculous enough. I took a steadying breath, steeling myself, and pressed forward, my fists clenched. No matter what I saw, I would be ready to protect Danny.

The voices became clearer and clearer as we followed them, wandering down a part of the house that was becoming familiar. It took seconds for me to realize that we were heading toward the room Vlad took us to when we came here with Mr. and Mrs. Fenton.

"This is so boring." Danny's voice suddenly projected clearly from the den, sounding relaxed if not, as he said, completely bored.

We hastily scuffled behind statues and plants, peering into the doorway. My stomach was doing the tango as I looked in, expecting the worst. However, when I looked in all I saw was Vlad calmly sitting on the couch, looking at papers and an open text book on the coffee table in front of him. With a careful squint of my eyes I noticed it was our science text book for school.

"I thought you liked science." he called over his shoulder in a good natured voice, flipping through a few of the pages.

"Well yeah," Danny finally came into the picture, leaning over the couch and looking at the textbook. With a pang I noticed some marks on his neck that hadn't been there today at school, but from this distance I couldn't really tell what they were. They were probably just scratches from a ghost fight, not bite marks.

"But this is a subject that I'm actually good at. I'll probably do just fine on the test without studying."

So Danny really did lie to us. I gripped the edge of the door I was peaking behind, forcing my hurt down. Tucker's expression mirrored mine, but Jazz looked almost confused. I paid it no mind and listened as Vlad spoke again.

"Oh? So are there any more tests you should be worrying about?" Vlad glanced up at Danny, a knowing smirk on his face. Danny scowled.

"Have you been stalking me again?"

"Only for your own good."

"Says you." Danny mumbled.

"Stop complaining. You have an English test to study for."

"I don't even know what it's over. I'll do it tomorrow."

"No you won't, you're spending time with your friends tomorrow. Can't have them getting suspicious, now can we?"

This banter between them was beyond confusing for me. If Vlad really had done _that_ to Danny, why are they acting like friends? Is he just playing up Danny's delusion that he loves him? But why would he go so far as to help him with his homework? He was acting like he actually cared about Danny. And what did he mean by us getting suspicious. Suspicious about what, their act?

"Wait, you want me to spend time with my friends?" Danny pretended to look shocked.

"Well I have to." Vlad grumbled, turning back around and leaning against the couch, crossing his arms in an annoyed fashion, "What with your little goth friend being so damn perceptive."

"Hey. Be nice." Danny scolded, adopting a more teasing tone. "Just because you don't like her doesn't mean you get to be a jerk."

"That's hardly fair. If I do recall, there was a certain teenager who once held a strong dislike against me and that never stopped him from being a jerk." Vlad looked pointedly at Danny.

"Yeah, but there's a difference. I was in denial."

Vlad laughed lightly, looking back to the science homework and picking up the text book.

"Alright, enough stalling. Come here and do your homework." He pointed to the spot next to him and Danny obeyed reluctantly, sitting on his knees next to him.

"Come on, Vlad. There are much better things we could do besides homework." I ignored the double meaning in his words, along with his tone of voice that matched those double meanings.

"Yes, but unfortunately you can't get into a good college on the grounds of having amazing sex everyday."

Tucker's jaw fell into an open gape. Jazz had her hands clamped over her mouth, eyes wide. Vlad's words were the only thing in my numb brain, pounding around my skull like a pair of atoms. He was kidding right? He had to be kidding.

"Bummer." Danny sighed forlornly, his voice bringing us back from our personal freak outs, sounding far away.

"Indeed. Now what was it you had to do? Chapter assessment right?"

Danny obviously wasn't listening to Vlad. He was staring at him, a plot forming behind his eyes. I watched, barely breathing, waiting to see what would happen next, knowing whatever it was I wasn't going to like it.

Danny was the one to start it. He was the one who made the first move, out of his own free will. His arms snaked up Vlad's chest, face moving closer to his ear. Vlad's words died on his lips as Danny started whispering something to him, biting and licking his earlobe. My stomach twisted itself into a dozen knots, making me feel sick. I watched as Vlad's once focused eyes lidded, a dark smirk crossing his face at whatever Danny was whispering to him.

In one smooth motion, faster then I could watch, Vlad suddenly pushed Danny to the couch, a strong hand pressing down on his chest to prevent escape. Danny's expression wasn't one of fear though, he actually looked...excited, triumphant almost. Vlad's smirk spread into a grin as he leaned over him, his face a whisper away from Danny.

"Daniel Fenton, I do believe I've spoiled you."

Danny giggled, curling his arms around Vlad's neck and bringing him even closer. Utter emptiness reverberated through me as Vlad pressed his lips against Danny's, the hand on his chest moving up to caress his face. I heard Jazz make an odd half choking sound, Tucker's whispered "No way.", but it didn't register in my numb brain. I couldn't tear my eyes away, refusing to believe it as it happened right in front of my face.

The emptiness churned into revulsion as I watched Vlad stick his tongue into Danny's mouth, tripling as Danny returned the action. I didn't want to see this. I wanted to turn around, walk away, and pretend it never happened. This was more than just wrong, it was more than just unnatural. Jazz was wrong. This wasn't rape at all. That much was easy to tell by how much Danny was fricking enjoying it. I felt betrayed by him, watching him squirm below his worst enemy, react to his every touch. It was disgusting and I hated it.

"Danny..."

Jazz seemed to have floated out of her hiding spot, a hand resting on the doorway, her face pale and clammy. Me and Tucker rose out of the shadows from behind her, our hearts beating in our mouths and similar expressions of shock and revulsion.

Danny and Vlad instantly broke apart, the most perfect dear in the head lights shot matching on both their faces. There was a horrible tense silence that didn't belong. I had a million things I wanted to scream, but I couldn't get them out. All I could see beyond a growing red haze was my best friend wrapped up in the arms of a villain and enjoying every minute of it.

"Get away from my brother you creep!" Jazz screamed suddenly, shattering the silence and letting all chaos loose.

She yanked an ecto gun from her belt, firing off shots like she was in the middle of a war zone. Vlad moved automatically, shielding Danny from the attacks and simultaneously throwing up a red energy shield.

I could barely see past the barrage of attacks, the room being taken up by gunshots and Jazz's enraged screams. From within the red shield, Danny and Vlad were crouching in defense. Danny looked petrified, white as a sheet despite the red tinge the barrier was giving him. Vlad seemed to shut down, his once blank expression of surprise turning into a focused glare.

Tucker joined in with Jazz, throwing everything he could at the shield even if it wasn't a ghost weapon. I was still stuck, still refusing to believe the fact that Danny's been ditching us all this time to go screw around with Vlad.

I watched as Vlad turned Danny toward him, looking right into his eyes. I couldn't tell what he was saying, but his stony face of determination gave away his goals. Danny nodded to whatever Vlad was saying, looking both guilty and unsure. For half a millisecond, Danny glanced over at me, our eyes meeting at once. Guilt flooded his face and he quickly looked away. My anger spiked at that, realizing that not only had Danny been lying to us for Vlad, but that he's been doing it because he wanted to, every single time. Vlad suddenly twisted his hands in Danny's hair and kissed him full on the lips, the desperate passion obvious even from this distance. At that, my anger surged, and the fire in me exploded.

With an irate howl, I pulled the first gun I could find and let loose a barrage of ectobeams. The shield held under the combined attacks, creating a shower of sparks that burst like fireworks all over the den. Eventually, between explosion after explosion, I noticed that the shield was empty. Danny and Vlad were gone.

"Guys! GUYS!" I screamed, feeling my voice start to go hoarse.

They managed to hear me over their attacks, tearing their eyes away from their target and turning their glares to me.

"Their gone." I panted, dropping my arm, the gun limp in my hand even though I wanted to continue shooting something.

They looked back to the shield just as if flickered out of existence, leaving a pristine circle in the middle of a war zone.

"Well where are they?" Tucker yelled, twisting around the room as though expecting them to pop up out of no where.

"He's taken him! Vlad's taken my brother and he's never coming back!" Jazz screamed in frustration, shooting her gun off at random.

"Are you kidding me?" I screamed at her, meeting Tucker and Jazz's scared expressions. "Danny hasn't been kidnapped! He hasn't been held against his will or brainwashed! Danny's betrayed us, plain and simple! He's been lying to us all this time just to get _laid_! And now, he's ditched us again!"

I didn't mean to take my anger out on her, but I was just so damn furious! How could Danny do something like this? Vlad's creepy enough that it might be believable from him, but _Danny_? Since when has my best friend decided it's okay to sleep with the enemy? Since when has he decided that pedophilia is okay? Since when did he decide he's fucking gay for Vlad? It's complete bullshit! It's not fair! Danny wasn't supposed to end up with his arch enemy, he was supposed to end up with _me_!

Rage, resentment, embarrassment, and betrayal built up inside of me and I screamed it all out, throwing my gun and hearing a window shatter, the destruction music to my ears. Tucker seemed to have lost his fire, staring at the ruined floor with a broken expression, his gun on the floor. Jazz was pacing everywhere, gripping her hair and scrunching up her face as though in pain. For a striving psychologist, she looked quite deranged.

"Where are you!" I bellowed, wanting to take my anger out on the ones who deserved it. I felt like I wasn't in control of my own mouth, the words pouring from it born straight from my rage, "Come out, you cowards! What the fuck is wrong with you? Why the fuck are you betraying your friends to be Vlad's boy toy, Danny? Why the fuck-"

Suddenly I was flying across the room, my chest feeling as though it'd been hit with a sledge hammer. Tucker and Jazz called my name with a yell just as my back slammed into the wall, creating several new cracks. I fell to the floor, the breath completely gone from my chest. I looked up to see what hit me and saw Plasmius where I once stood, a black shroud of fury replacing his usual ghostly glow and snapping out like whips.

"Don't you dare insult Daniel like that." he hissed, eyes red with blood lust.

Jazz and Tucker coward in understandable fright, and I felt thick fear slowly spread through my veins, dampening my anger like water to a fire. I held up my glare though, recalling my anger and fighting against my instinctual fear. But when white hot electricity starting shooting out from his palms, I couldn't help but listen to my instincts just a little bit.

He stared walking toward us, murder in his eyes. I scooted back, pushing myself into the wall. Jazz and Tucker grabbed my arms, dragging me to my feet. It was the first time I was actually scared of something, even though I tried to stand tall against it. Two powerful streaks of lightening hit on either side of our cowering group, continually shooting until we were outlined with the deadly electricity. Through the flashing light, I sneaked a look at Plasmius, his demonic expression causing another instinct to jump through me. Despite my furious emotions, I found myself hoping with all my might that Danny would come and save us again.

"Vlad! Stop!"

His voice was our saving light, the electricity ceasing almost immediately. My ears were muffled, brain still trying to erase the crackling of the lightening inches from our skin. Trembling, I looked up. Jazz and Tucker moved their arms away from me too, unwrapping our make shift cocoon and peaking out to make sure the coast was clear.

Danny was floating in front of Plasmius, hands splayed out on his chest as though holding him back.

"Vlad calm down, she didn't mean it. Don't hurt my friends and sister. This is all just a big mistake, it'll be fine, just don't-"

"Danny." Plasmius said in a much gentler voice, the murderous rage gone from his demeanor.

Danny was quiet, but I could see he was shaking slightly. Vlad sighed heavily, reaching up and holding Danny's arms. He dropped his hands from Vlad's chest, the tension visibly leaving his body.

"I'm sorry. I lost control of my temper." he said in a quiet voice, obviously just for Danny. I strained to hear him.

After a pause, Danny nodded.

"Promise you won't hurt them?" he asked.

"I promise."

The dust in the air was slow to settle, but everyone was quiet. We were too scared to move, fear of Vlad tearing us to shreds, and Danny and Vlad seemed at a loss, not quite sure how to handle this situation.

"Maybe...talking?" Danny shrugged to Vlad, fishing around for a solution.

"Seems that's about all we can do. Unless you're okay with using several memory fabricators I have down in the lab." Vlad asked hopefully.

"We'll keep that for plan B." Danny joked. At least I hope he was joking.

Slowly, they turned to face us, Danny looking at us warily, and Vlad with just flat out dislike. We all stared at each other in total silence, waiting for the other to say something. Danny looked from Vlad to us, reminiscent of our web cam chat from weeks ago.

"Um..." he changed back to his human self, looking to Vlad. Vlad followed his lead, rolling his eyes and going back to glaring at us.

"So uh...you guys wanna talk?"


	17. Chapter 17

* * *

Danny PoV

* * *

Vlad's grandfather clock was ticking from somewhere within the house, the only sound between us all. Sam, Tucker, and Jazz were all seated at the kitchen table, their eyes avoiding me and Vlad at all costs, but their expressions one of blatant mistrust. Vlad was next to me, leaning against the counter top and picking at his nails in a bored fashion. I was sitting on the counter space next to him, feeling about ready explode if someone didn't say something soon. God, this day has been an absolute nightmare.

I felt miserable. Honestly, I just wanted to crawl upstairs to Vlad's bed and bury my head in the soft pillows for the rest of time. Sam's words were still echoing in my head, making me feel like dirt. I never knew she could be so cruel. She refused to look at me, instead glaring at the table with smoldering eyes. I twisted my hands together, hating this mixture feeling of nervousness and guilt.

"Can someone just say something?" I asked weakly, unable to take the silence.

I wished I hadn't said anything though, because Sam instantly turned her glare to me.

"I can think of tons of things to say, but your little boyfriend might rip my throat out." she snapped.

Vlad growled threatening, eyes alighting red.

I frowned at her, feeling as though she was being completely unfair. Could she blame Vlad for reacting like that? Jesus, she accused me of being his slutty boy toy for gods sake. I felt myself sink a little lower, recalling the hate in her voice.

"Sam." Tucker whispered quietly, putting a hand on her arm. I could tell she was on the verge of defiance, ready to scream more hurtful words, but then thought better of it. Jazz looked up at me, looking so confused.

"I don't understand." she said quietly, "I thought...the bite marks...and the scratches...I thought..."

Vlad turned his attention to her, slight humor coloring his face.

"Don't tell me. You didn't think I'd raped Danny, did you?"

I stared at Jazz with disbelief, the whole concept sounding ridiculous to me.

"Well...yeah." she mumbled.

"No my dear, I assure you it was all consensual." He grinned.

"Thanks Vlad." I grumbled, dragging a hand down my face.

"What? As Miss Manson so kindly screamed in her temper tantrum, they certainly know more than we ever expected."

"No kidding." I had to agree with that.

"How long?" Sam demanded suddenly, causing me and Vlad to look at her.

"How long what?" I asked hesitantly.

"How long have you two..." she made an odd flap with her hands and pulled up a disgusted expression, "You know."

"About a week after he kidnapped me." I rose an eye brow at her rather childish actions.

"A week? That's it?" Tucker looked scandalized.

"It...it's more complicated than that." I quickly cut in before Sam could express her displeasure as well.

"Is it?" she asked sarcastically.

"Yeah."

I could tell by Vlad's expression that he was quickly becoming irritated with Sam's unending anger, but I couldn't blame her. I kinda deserved it. It still hurt though.

"This is just...really unexpected. I mean, are you sure you're...you're okay with this?" Jazz asked nervously.

"Uh...yeah." I wasn't really sure what she was asking.

"I mean, are you sure this is your own choice? Vlad's not...not making you-"

Oh. That's what she means.

"For the last time, I'm not brainwashed." I interrupted her exasperatedly.

"I know you're not, but..." she shot a glance at Vlad, obviously wanting to say something about him. It wasn't that hard to figure out.

"No, Vlad hasn't manipulated, traumatized, or beaten me into submission. Can we please move past this?" I sighed. The sooner we got through to them that this was my own choice, the sooner we could figure out what the heck was going to happen next. However, my words seemed to set Sam off again, and her shout echoed around the kitchen.

"No Danny, we can't, because I can't believe that my best friend would suddenly ditch us to whore around with a _40 year old man_!"

Vlad snapped, eyes blazing with fury. In one swift movement he had Sam around the neck and was pressing her against the wall, leaving her boots to kick at the empty air as she gasped for breath.

"How dare you?" he hissed, "As usual, you speak of _nothing_ you understand!"

Tucker and Jazz lept from the table with a yell, aiming their guns at Vlad and demanding he let her go. I probably should have done something, but my cold body wouldn't move. Sam really hated me. She _really hated _me.

"Vlad, don't." I slid off the table, finally coming back to reality and putting a hand on the arm that was currently strangling Sam. His eyes glanced over to me, and he grudgingly let go.

"I can't believe these are your friends." he murmured.

"Well how do you expect us to react? This is...this is so bizarre." Tucker bristled.

"I know. That's why you weren't supposed to find out." I muttered.

"Danny," Jazz started out in a scared voice, glancing at Vlad with obvious fear. "Danny this isn't healthy. You're fifteen and he's-"

"Forty." Sam grunted.

"Twenty-five." I glared.

"What?" Jazz looked startled. Vlad smirked at her in amusement.

"I'm twenty five. I suppose Danny told you about his aging cycle? We both share the same condition and thus share the same growth rate."

"Oh, well," Jazz didn't look any reassured. "I guess that's a little better, but still. You're underage Danny. You shouldn't be dealing with something like this at such a tender state of mind."

"Tender state of mind?" I scrunched my face up.

"They're are so many variables to deal with in this kind of relationship and your not old enough to cope with something this." she continued.

"What are you-"

"It's bad enough you have ghost powers to deal with, you don't need the added stress of an illegal relationship with someone who is clearly not a good influence on-"

"Jazz, everything was just fine until you all butted in." I glared, not about to listen to her harp on and on about how horrible Vlad is and how delicate I am and crap. "Have I been hurt in the past month? Do you really think I've been under too much stress? The only thing causing me stress now is you guys. The ghosts aren't attacking, thanks to Vlad. I'm gaining better control of my powers, thanks to Vlad. And I've never been happier in my entire life, thanks to Vlad. How is any of this bad?"

"But you're only fifteen. You're going to regret this in the future."

"No, I'm pretty sure I won't. Not now and not a thousand years from now."

"This isn't real, Danny. You've convinced yourself that you have feelings for Vlad, but in reality you don't."

"Who the hell do you think you are? God?" This was ridiculous. I can't believe my own sister doesn't think I'm mature enough to know when I have _feelings_ for someone.

"I may be fifteen, but I've dealt with more crap than most adults have, or have you forgotten the past year of ghost fighting? I think I'm self aware enough to know my own feelings." I glared.

"But for him?" Sam jumped up again, "Have _you _forgotten Danny? He's tried to kill your Dad, ruin your life, steal you're own mother, and often beat you within two inches of your life. How the hell can you even _stand _him?"

"He hasn't done a thing against my father in months-"

"Why does that matter? Should a couple months cover up an entire year of crime? He's a fucking criminal Danny! You're supposed to be the Hero!" she yelled.

"I'm not some damn storybook character, Sam! I'm not going to run my life according to you're fantasies!" I yelled back.

"Oh, so you're saying you're _not _a hero?"

"For the love of god! I'm fucking human! Enough with the damn titles!" I shouted. Maybe I've been spending too much time with Vlad, but I was starting to see things from his point of view. The world isn't black and white, made up of heroes and villains. It's made up of people and the choices they make.

She was glaring daggers at me, and I was glaring right back. I've fought with Sam in the past, sure, but never like this. Never when something so important as our friendship was on the line.

"You know, I can have a relationship with Vlad and still be a good person. " I continued. "I haven't changed, so I don't understand why you think I'm suddenly going to inexplicably turn evil."

"Because he's _Vlad_. What part of that don't you understand? He's a horrible person!"

"People change Sam! And Vlad's a person, just like you and me!"

She twisted away angrily, hair whipping around her face. I watched as she glared out the window with clenched fists, beyond words.

"Um...Sam has a point Danny." Jazz started back up, sounding unsure at first, "Vlad doesn't exactly have a clean record. Why are you so...attracted to him?" she had trouble saying the word 'attracted'.

"Because I have the body of a God." he muttered, an arrogant smirk on his face.

I had to force myself not to laugh, the expressions on everyones faces too hilarious. They all looked as though they had just swallowed a fish.

"Um...well I guess there's that." I struggled not to smirk and failed slightly, "But, like I've been trying to tell you all, he's not what you think." I could feel a blush starting up, a little shy about admitting all the reasons why I loved Vlad to both him and my friends and sister. I glanced at Vlad and he had a light smile on his face, looking at me as though no one else in the room existed. I felt my blush darken.

"He...he's really different, you know." I smiled to myself, twisting my fingers a bit. "All people see is a manipulative jerk, but he's more than that. I'm not gonna say he's really a kind hearted soul underneath all the fruitloopyness," I laughed, "Cause really, if you're not worth his time he won't hesitate to let you know. But, to me...he's more than I can describe. When it's just me and him, it's like no one else exists. With him, I can be safe in knowing that there's nothing to fear, not ghosts, not guns, not pain, nothing. Maybe it's because we're both half ghost, I don't know, but there's something there that ties me to him that, honestly, no one but us can understand. I _need _him." I whispered.

The silence in the room wasn't like the other ones, full of disgust or anger. It was just existing, empty and cold. Sam, Tucker, and Jazz looked as though they were hardly breathing, my words freezing them to their chairs. I sneaked another glance at Vlad. He was smiling softly at me, the tender look in his eyes making the blush spread from my face to neck.

"Uh, yeah," I coughed, hoping we could go back to shouting at each other. "So...so that's why I'm in love with Vlad Masters."

_That _sentence brought'em back. Tucker looked as though he'd swallowed two fish. Sam started choking, coughing loudly and beating her chest. Jazz looked as though I'd told a very bad joke.

"Danny," she half laughed, hoping I was kidding or over exaggerating or something, "Surely you don't mean that. After all, you don't even know what love is." she shook her head.

"And you do?"

"Of course not, but that's not what we're talking about here. I don't think you realize how bold of a statement that was."

"Yes I do. I know exactly how heavy that statement is. I don't expect you to understand, and there is no possible way I can explain it to you, but I love him, in every sense of the word." It was easier than I thought, saying that out loud to someone other than Vlad. It came so natural to me, like I'd been born for this. Sure, I may not know what love is exactly, but does anyone? I know I'd do anything for Vlad, and he'd do anything for me. We both can feel it, that undeniable connection. He's the only person in the world I can truly relate to. We depend on each other, we care about each other. Isn't that enough for love?

"Dude, come on. Look at from our point of view." Tucker spoke up weakly. "After a year of hearing you talk about how you hate him and watching him do all those horrible things to you and your family, this comes as a bit of a shock."

I understood the logic in Tucker's words. He had a point. From their point of view, this relationship was beyond comprehension. So how could I make them understand?

"I know." I sighed, falling into a kitchen chair. "I know it's crazy but...it just is."

Jazz looked ready to protest, so I quickly continued.

"And this isn't out of the blue, you know."

"What?" she looked confused. I glanced over at Vlad to see him listening too.

"I...I haven't always hated him." my voice was quiet, I couldn't look at them as I admitted one of the most personal things in my life.

"What do you mean? You always said-"

"Yeah, I know what I said, but I lied. Everything time I told you I hated him, I lied. I think I more hated myself for having feelings for him, cause Sam's right," I looked to Vlad with a frown, "You did put me and my family through a lot of crap."

Vlad looked guilty, but I don't think anyone but me could really see it.

"However, no matter what he did." I turned back to the table. "I still...always..."

My voice trailed off, leaving an empty silence.

"I actually looked forward to our fights, in some messed up way." a forced smile that resembled more of a grimace slid on my face. "I hated it and I hated those feelings I got whenever I was near him. I was always so confused."

I shook my head, removing myself from my musings.

"Then he randomly kidnapped me." I sighed in a stronger voice, "And I wasn't so much scared of the situation as I was nervous, cause I knew that if I spent too much time with him, I'd crack."

"So what happened?" Tucker asked in hushed voice when I stopped talking.

"We watched Dead Teacher VIII and ended up making out on the couch."

Tucker palm smacked his forehead.

"Thanks for the image, Danny."

I laughed a bit and leaned back in the chair, a light smile on my face. I never realized how bad I actually felt for hiding that part of me from my friends and sister. My chest felt as though a heavy blanket had been lifted from it, one that I hadn't even known was there. I looked back had Vlad to see his expression mirroring mine, but I had a few questions for him...

"That reminds me." I twisted around to look at him. "Half the crap you pulled was quite unnecessary. Like stealing our portal and putting a bounty on my head? You could have easily built another portal. Or infecting Sam and Tucker with ecto acne and claiming you needed my help? If you cured it once on your own you could have done it again. So why did you bother?"

"Ugh." Sam spoke up from the back. "Don't tell me it was some gushy crap about wanting to see Danny more." she gagged.

"Actually no." he glared at her coolly. "My hope was to have Daniel hate me so much that I'd hate him as well. Needless to say it didn't quite work out as planned."

"Figures you'd go the fruitloop way of denial." I snickered.

"Nonsense. It was a perfectly logical plan. Someone was just too crazy about me for his own good." he smirked and I rolled my eyes.

"Stop. Just stop." Sam shook her head furiously, holding her hands up. She looked at me, her amethyst eyes hard.

"I don't get it Danny, and frankly, I don't think I ever will. You can go on and say you've loved," she gaged on the word, "him since the day you met him, but I can't believe that. I still can't get over the fact that you're choosing him over your friends."

"I am not choosing him over you guys." I said furiously, feeling suddenly outraged by her words. "You're the one making a big deal about this. In case you haven't noticed, I've been careful to spend just as much time with him as I have with you guys."

"That's ridiculous! All those hours 'studying'? You could have been with your friends but instead you were with _him_."

"Yeah, I was! It's not my problem that your not used to me hanging around someone other than you for a change!"

Sam was about to retort with an irate response, but a low dark laugh permeated the feud between us and momentarily extinguished the fire. We all looked over to Vlad who was leaning against the counter, a cruel leer on his face directed at Sam.

"I think," his grin expanded, "That Samantha is jealous."

A blush immediately flamed across Sam's face, and for a moment her glare fell into something akin with embarrassment. She was too disarmed to even yell at him for calling her 'Samantha'. Jazz and Tucker were looked nervous for some reason, like Vlad had just trespassed onto a taboo subject. I had no idea what he was talking about.

"That's-that's ridiculous." she stuttered, her glare back, but weaker.

"What do I have to be jealous of? A disgusting relationship?" although her words were harsh, her voice was shakier than before. I looked at Vlad, waiting for him to try and attack Sam again. I was surprised to see his eyes glitter with malicious amusement though, like he'd just caught a new mouse.

"No, no, no, my dear." He laughed slowly, pushing away from the counter, "It's funny I didn't realize it sooner. After all the nice thing's I've heard Danny say about you, I was surprised to see you act so violently today."

Sam squirmed a bit, glancing at me but quickly glaring at Vlad again as he approached her at a lazy pace.

"And now I see the reason behind your tantamount fury." he laughed again. "You're not so much angry at Danny as you're jealous of me."

Sam froze, along with everyone else in the room. A dawning realization came over me and my jaw went slack. Well this was...awkward.

"You want to be in _my_ position." he continued, circling her like a predator to prey. "You want to be the one kissing Daniel, you want to be the one he turns to. You're angry because of all the people to loose to, you lost to the last person you'd expect. Me."

"Shut up!" Sam screamed, finally snapping and twisting around to attack him with the first weapon she could find in her belt.

But Vlad simply side stepped the attack, still grinning in triumph.

"You're quite the sore looser, Miss Manson, saying all those cruel things to the one person you truly cared about all because of unrequited love. And here I thought you just had anger management issues."

"Shut _up_!"

I think I was a little shocked. Sam likes me? But...what? All this time? Am I really that clueless?

"It's not fair!" She yelled hysterically, rounding on me suddenly, her rather watery eyes upping the awkward level. "I've always been there for you! I've always watched out for you! And you go for _him_? All he ever does is hurt people! He steals and cheats and lies and doesn't care about anyone but himself! What do you _see _in him?"

All I could do was gape, totally at a loss for words.

"Sam...I-"

"Don't! Just don't!" she glared, fists clenched so tight her knuckles were turning white, "I can't even stand to look at you right now Danny. Just leave me alone."

Without further ado she stomped out of the room, leaving me feeling as though my brain had just melted. Jazz and Tucker ran after her, shooting me betrayed and disapproving looks, as though this was completely my fault.

Ten minutes ago we were shouting about how Vlad was a horrible person. Now Sam's just unloaded the fact that she's in love with me.

"What just happened?" I blinked, the silence of the room confusing me.

Vlad laughed, arms crossed and mirth in his eyes. He was gazing out the door that Sam had just fled from, looking proud. I frowned at him.

"That was really mean you know."

"Yes it was, but she was taking her anger out on you, which I see as being just as cruel if not more. Frankly, she deserved it."

I tried hard not to agree with him. Sam's hateful comments still stung.

I looked around the empty room, still marveling at how abruptly all the feuding had ended. It was wonderfully quiet now, no more accusing and hateful glares being thrown in my direction.

"So...so has she always liked me?" I asked, still trying to wrap my head around it.

Vlad snorted.

"I can't believe your that clueless. She's pretty much liked you since middle school, my dear boy."

"How do you know?"

"I made it a concern to know any and all competition once I finally got over my denial of you. Not that she was ever any competition." he rolled his eyes and laughed at the thought.

"But...why has she never said anything?"

"Because despite her ardent attempts to break away from conformity, she's still a female." he replied dryly.

I stared at the blank wall. Girls are so weird.

"This is going to make school very awkward." I winced.

"Indeed it is. I pity you." he smirked.

"I can tell." I replied sarcastically.

"Where did they even go?" I wondered, the thought suddenly hitting me.

"Probably back to however they got in. No doubt through the ghost zone which means they'll be stumbling through my lab right about now." he sighed, moving away from the window and approaching me, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm truly sorry about all of this Danny." he said in a quiet voice, his expression unguarded and sad. "I never meant for your friends to find out, and certainly not like this."

"It's not your fault." I rose an eye brow, "So why are you apologizing? It just...happened."

But Vlad gazed out the window, the melancholy shroud still present.

"Still..." he murmured.

I stood from my chair, a sudden urge coming over me. I wrapped my arms around him, hugging his body close and burying my face in his chest. It'd been such a long day. I didn't want to think about anything anymore, I was too tired.

"I love you." I muttered into his shirt, feeling his arms around me.

He pet my hair gently, quiet and thoughtful. The sweet silence was music to my ears, such a relief from all the shouting. Try as I might though, I couldn't completely quell my thoughts. What would happen now? What would my friends and sister do? Do they even consider me their friend anymore? Will they even talk to me at school? A depressed wave oozed through me, fear of the future filling my brain. Do they hate me?

"Come here." Vlad murmured, scooping me up in his arms.

For once, I didn't protest, and I let him carry me where ever he pleased. I didn't see any of the hallways or portraits we passed, my face still buried in the crook of his neck. Vlad's arms were as strong and protective as always, wrapping me in safe cocoon. He phased us through a door and one peak told me we were in his room again. He made his way toward the bed and laid back on the pillows, just holding me. His hand rubbed my back soothingly, a single light kiss was placed on my forehead.

"I love you too, Danny." he whispered quietly and a warm smile spread on my face.

Here, with Vlad holding me so tenderly, it was easy to think the future wasn't so scary, that no matter what happened, it would all be okay. I could only hope that I'd feel this strongly come Monday, when I didn't have Vlad next to me and I was on my own again.

* * *

Surprise love triangle! :D (kinda)


	18. Chapter 18

A-heh-heh. Long time, no see, eh? Pleasedon'tkillme. I claim a two month lack of inspiration. And laziness. Looots of laziness.

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Vlad PoV

* * *

Danny had fallen asleep in my arms last night. I called his parents before it got too late, telling them that Daniel was here in Wisconsin with me. At first, they had been frantic. I calmly explained to them that Danny was feeling suffocated at home and needed some air. He'd taken the first flight to Wisconsin in an attempt to get some fresh air and had arrived at my mansion late in the evening. After promising to give him a scolding of his life, they reluctantly allowed him to stay until Monday, wanting me to tell him he'd be in a world of trouble when he got home.

Danny is still asleep, as I knew he would be. It was only ten in the morning, and I'd just received my Saturday paper. I was quite confident that he wouldn't be angry with me for calling his parents, despite the fact that he had a good grounding waiting for him upon his return. I know he wants to stay here, if only to pretend that yesterday hadn't happened for a little while longer.

God, what a nightmare. The look on his friends faces...and the horrible things that girl had said...it was mind boggling. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. Of all the people to understand jealously, I'm the expert. That still doesn't excuse her words though. I never dreamed she would actually go as far as calling Danny my "boy toy."

I glared furiously at the newspaper, just the thought making me angry enough to set the print on fire. What a pompous little brat. To have the actual nerve to say that not only to me, but her best friend. And people think I have a heart of stone.

No doubt, she'll completely ignore Danny's existence at school, not listening to a single apology he offers, even if he's on his knees. I know Daniel, he'll continue to try and be her friend no matter what she says to him. Sometimes he can be so foolish. I can only hope he's strong enough to endure the pain that's sure to come from the three people he thought he could trust.

The coffee steamed on the table next to me, untouched. A low fire was crackling and I threw the paper into the flame. It was pointless to try and focus on the daily news. I heard sheets rustle behind me and glanced over my shoulder to see Danny snuggle deeper into the pillows, mumbling incoherent words. He looks so peaceful in his sleep, oblivious to the struggles ahead. He looks _happy_ right now. I felt my anger return, more thoughts of his friends and sister plaguing my mind.

It didn't make any sense. They all claimed to be worried about Daniel, but what was there to be worried about? He's spent the past month with me and not a single bad thing that happened to him. He's happy with me. Isn't that what they want? Him to be happy? I suppose it's the 'with me' part they're not to pleased about. How ridiculous. You don't get to pick and choose who you fall in love with, and there sure as hell isn't any use in throwing a huge fit about it.

I glared into the fire, the red embers reflecting my simmering mood. The worst part about this situation was that there wasn't even a real solution. With all my powers of being a half ghost, there wasn't a thing I could do to make this all just go away. Actually, no, there are many things I could do to make this all go away, but I'm quite positive Danny wouldn't approve of them. The only thing I can do is hug Danny when he needs it and hope it all turns out okay.

I couldn't stop an annoyed scowl from crossing my face, the discontented knot in my stomach turning the corners of my mouth down farther. I can't believe that I, Vlad Masters, feel useless. Perhaps Daniel will want to run the risk of brain damage on his friends and use the memory fabricators after all? If only he didn't have so many irritating morals.

A great sigh escaped from my chest and I leaned my head against my hand. Must it be such a big deal? Me and Danny are happy together. Why can't that be enough?

But of course, I knew why it wouldn't be enough. They don't trust me, and as far as they're concerned, I'm just a manipulative forty year old creep. I really don't want to waste my time trying to change their opinions of me. What do I care if they hate me? But, unfortunately, as long as they hate and mistrust me, it's likely they're going to hate and mistrust Danny.

Perfect.

A quiet yawn caused me to glance back at him again. I watched as he slowly pulled himself up, rubbing his eyes tiredly and hair sticking out in random directions. I smirked at the sight, grim thoughts floating away for a moment as he looked at me with a lazy smile.

"Good morning Vlad." He smiled, blinking slowly, obviously still half asleep.

"Good morning Danny." I said quietly.

Without further ado he dragged himself from the bed, taking the sheets with him, and stumbling over to my lap on the couch. Still smiling without a care in the world, he snuggled into my chest, wrapped up in the pure white blanket. I watched as he sunk back into sleep, breathing softly against the crook of my neck. I tried not to think about his less than peaceful wake that was soon to come.

"I'm worried about you Danny." I said to him, petting his midnight hair.

He slept on, unaware of my whispers. I sighed, looking back at the fire and still feeling his feather soft locks in my fingers. How would he cope? What would he do now that his friends knew our secret? I suppose it all depends on how his friends and sister react. I pray they haven't told his parents. That would be a complete and utter disaster. All it would take is one angry mother and court hearing, and I'd never be able to see Danny again. Not legally at least.

I rubbed my temples, tired of thinking about it. At least I can be sure they haven't said anything to Maddie and Jack as of yet. Danny would defiantly not be sleeping in my lap right now if they had.

I sat there for at least another hour, thinking about everything I didn't want to think about. Just as I was about fed up with my uncooperative brain, Danny stared stirring in my arms again. It was the perfect distraction, and I jumped at the chance to push my darker thoughts away and focus on him.

He yawned, rubbing his bleary eyes and looking a little confused. I watched as he slowly looked around, eyes still lidded with sleep.

"Good morning Daniel."

He looked up at me slowly, recent events suddenly dawning on him.

"Vlad?" he looked around for a second time, actually taking in his surroundings this time. "What am I doing here? What day is it?" He jumped out of my lap, looking a little panicky as he clutched the long sheets to his chest.

"What happened to Sam, Tucker, and Jazz? What's going on?"

"Danny," I interrupted calmly, gently grasping his hips and pulling him back down into my lap "Hush Danny, everything is fine. I called your parents and they're okay with you staying here for the weekend, although you have a hell of a grounding waiting for you when you get back home."

Danny was still tense, blinking slowly and looking at a loss. I could hear his heart beat slowly decreasing, though his hands were still clenched.

"What..." his quiet voice trailed off, leaving the question unfinished.

I sat patiently, waiting for him to continue.

"So it wasn't a dream, was it." he said after a long silence, a depressed acceptance in his voice.

"No." I wished I was lying. "It wasn't a dream."

He sat silently for a little while longer, his eyes shadowed with despair. I hated seeing him like that, so subdued. He had such a wild and alive spirit, it should never be so suppressed. I rose a hand to his back, squeezing a shoulder comfortingly. Danny sighed, finally relaxing and leaning back into me, curling up against my chest.

"I don't want to think about that right now." he said in a stubborn voice, scowling his thoughts away.

"I thought not." I smiled gently, kissing the crown of his head.

Danny was silent in my lap, no doubt thinking about the things he didn't want to think about. His stubborn expression was slowly melting, leaving an empty look in his eyes that I didn't like. I rubbed his back, bare flesh tingling under my fingertips. He shifted closer, playing with my long, loose hair absentmindedly.

"I...I don't know what to do." he admitted quietly, a fist clenching.

I watched his frustrated expression, wondering the same.

"There isn't much you can do. What ever happens in the coming weeks all depends on your friends."

"But what if they never speak to me again? And what about Jazz? What if she tells my parents?" his voice strained. I hugged him closer, calming him down.

"She hasn't told your parents yet, Danny, and if she was planning to do so we both know she would have already done it."

He took a heavy breath, relaxing slightly at the logic in my words.

"But...but what about my friends?" he whispered.

I didn't have an answer to that.

I don't know how long we sat there, fearing the unforeseeable future. It was silly really, because nothing good ever comes from fear of what _could _happen. I didn't want Danny to worry about it, even though it was inevitable. I wanted him to know this was a place that he could come to and relax, a place where only the happy times existed. I'm well aware how unrealistic and even juvenile that hope was, but I wished for it all the same.

"Come." I finally cut into our melancholy thoughts, "We can't sit here and worry all day."

"So what are we gonna do? Pretend everything's just fine?" He scowled, his mood turning black.

I took hold of his chin and kissed him lightly, telling him I was still here for him. He responded instantly, letting his guard down for just a second and revealing the desperation behind his scowl.

"Chin up, Little Badger," I whispered, nuzzling his face. "They'll come around."

"Will they?" he asked sadly.

"They're your best friends, they'd do anything for you." I smiled, "I only say this because I've witnessed it first hand."

A small grin started up on his face, I tried to encourage it.

"You'd be hard pressed to find other friends who'd traverse the realm of the dead with you and stand by your side against brilliant, billionaire masterminds."

His smile expanded and he chuckled in a relenting fashion.

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I'm right, I'm Vlad Masters."

Danny rolled his eyes, finally pushing off my lap and stumbling to the floor. He stretched high to the sky, clad in nothing but boxers. I leaned back and admired the view, laughing when he turned around and blushed.

"You'd think you'd be used to me staring at you by now." I cocked an eyebrow.

"You've always stared at me Vlad," he waved a hand, a cheeky smirk on his face. "I'm just finally starting to notice it more."

"That's because you're clueless."

"Hey!"

I grinned, standing up and taking him into my arms in a brief hug before going to open the French doors. Bright sunlight cascaded into the room, the dark curtains thrown aside to let the heat of the day in. Danny glanced up at the sudden sunshine with a small smile before returned to the dresser, rummaging around for clothes.

"So, what _are _we going to do today?" he asked lightly, holding up a dark shirt and then shaking his head, returning it for another.

"Anything you want, I suppose." I called over my shoulder, tying the curtains back.

"I don't really care. What do you want to do?"

I shrugged, turning around to see him hoist a pair of dark jeans over his hips and slip into a light, button up shirt that hugged his frame. I smiled, happy to see he wasn't going for the formless t-shirts.

"Don't get used to it." he warned, easily reading my thoughts.

"I wouldn't say that, Danny," I looked down at him, "I think you're starting to like the 'church clothes'."

"Yeah, you wish." he laughed, pausing to look in my full body mirror. He was quiet for a moment, fingering the material of the shirt.

"Well, maybe I like some of the tops." he relented, a half smile on his face.

"I certainly like them." I purred, wrapping my arms around his chest and fingering the taunt material.

"Of course _you _do." Danny's eyes lids lowered, back bending closer to me.

I trailed a tongue along his ear, my hot breath probably sending his brain in circles. He closed his eyes, a smile on his face. I caressed his jawline, smoothly turning him around and moving my lips to his again. He snaked his arms around my neck, pulling me closer and moaning when I teased him with a light bite to his bottom lip.

"Is this what you want to do all day?" I asked through the kiss, stroking his hair.

"I'm certainly not impartial to it."

"I'm impressed. That's a big word Daniel." I chuckled, tasting the skin on his neck.

"Shut up Vlad." he gasped.

I couldn't help but laugh again, wondering if maybe it was pointless in getting dressed today. I pulled the buttons to his shirt apart, letting the light material slip off his shoulders and revealing the tantalizing skin underneath.

"You won't be needing this today." I breathed, eying his soft flesh hungrily and feeling a slight tug from somewhere below my navel.

"Probably not." He mumbled, hands moving to clutch my arms.

I'm not sure how we so quickly descended into our more lustful desires, but we did. Danny was quick to respond to my touch, melting as I landed feather light kisses on his neck and shoulders. He moved closer to me, molding his body to mine and curling his fingers in my hair. I ran a hand up his curved back, moving his head where ever I wanted, gaining easier access to his exposed neck.

"We...haven't even had breakfast...yet." Danny gave a breathy laugh, still squirming against my body.

"When do we ever actually make it to breakfast here?" I mumbled, kissing a sensitive spot behind his earlobe.

His relpy turned into a moan, fingers pulling at the shirt on my back. I moved to his lips, running a tongue along the bottom before sliding into his mouth. His fingers turned into fists, pulling me closer and jumping to returning the kiss.

I don't think I would ever get over how perfectly his smaller frame fits into my grasp, as though his waist was simply made for me to hold. He was like putty in my hands, letting me turn him every which way I desired and pressing ever closer to me, erasing the last breath of space between us.

We fell back into the bed, his body draped over mine whimsically. I ran a hand down his back, clutching his thigh and pulling it closer. Danny broke the kiss for half a second to rip my clothes through me, throwing them to the floor.

"And you think _I'm_ being hasty?" I chuckled against his lips, opening my eyes a sliver and seeing his own lidded stare.

"Shut up Vlad." he breathed, kissing me once more.

I grinned into the kiss, loving how he turned into a little nymphomaniac for me. He started teasing my nipples brashly, moving away from the kiss to bite my neck, hips grinding into mine. A groan slipped past my unguarded throat, the hands holding his waist tightening as my arousal gave another throb.

I think, somewhere in the deep recesses of my remaining logic, I noticed the more desperate touch behind his teasings, the more urgent gasp behind every kiss. It wasn't difficult to understand the sudden possessiveness he carried.

He was trying to forget.

In one swift movement, I flipped our positions over, kneeling over him and restraining his wrists above his head. Well if he was trying to use rough sex as a coping mechanism I certainly wasn't going to argue. Danny hissed when I broke his skin with my teeth, tasting the coppery tang. If he wanted it rough he'd get it rough.

I tore the remaining clothes from his body, kissing his marked neck and then moving down to his chest. His back arched when my teeth bruised his nipples, mouth turning down in a grimace and arms wrapped around me in a crushing grip. Fingers curled in my hair again as I dragged my tongue lower, leaving a long wet trail from his chest to his navel.

"Vlad..." he groaned.

He jumped and groaned much louder when I grabbed his cock, pumping his erection suddenly. Almost instantly his hips started moving against my hand. He forced his lips against mine, gasping when I dragged my nails along his length. I continued to kiss him as he gasped below me, traveling up and swirling my tongue around his ear, my breath permeating his head.

"Aagh--please..." he groaned, flinching as I scrapped the head of his dripping cock with my thumb nail. My arousal gave another lurch at hearing him plead for me, my patience slowly disappearing.

I laughed darkly in his ear, watching goosebumps rise on his arms as he shivered. He didn't notice as I inched my free hand behind him, furtively gliding it down his arched back and coming to a rest as his entrance. Danny groaned almost painfully when I pushed a dry finger inside him, hissing when I forced in a second and started scissoring his walls.

"Fuck--Vlad!" he grit his teeth, breath coming out in broken gasps as he forced himself to relax, my steadily scissoring fingers and pumping hand calming his frantic brain.

His voice fell back into heavy moans, nails tearing at my skin when I added a third. He was panting against my neck, his breath coming out in hot puffs. I forced his head back, tangling my fingers in his hair and yanking. Danny blinked up at me, vulnerable sky-blue eyes darkened with lust, his cheeks flushed red. I watched his chest rise and fall dramatically, his body flinching when I forced my fingers in deeper. My cock throbbed painfully again, itching to be pounding into the boy I was dominating.

Danny whined in displeasure when I removed my fingers, pinning him down with one hand while blinding reaching for the tube in the nightstand drawer. The musky scent of the oil didn't really register in my head, only the panting, aroused teen below me did. I threw the bottle out of the way when I didn't need it anymore and grabbed Danny's shoulders, flipping him on to his stomach and kneeling behind him.

He screamed when I thrust into him, his walls swallowing me whole. I groaned, grabbing his hips in an iron grip. Danny choked on a moan, crying out again when I pulled out and slammed back in. I felt the hot walls closing around my throbbing arousal, craving more.

I couldn't hold back another moan when Danny pressed back into my cock, burying himself deeper and dragging me down farther. He was on his knees before me, rocking back and forth against my cock. My eyes glazed over for a moment and I thrust into him again, his voice music to my ears when I hit that special spot.

"Fuck!" he screamed, arms shaking.

I pulled out and thrust in again, and again, and again. He screamed for me, my name echoing out the open French doors. Danny groaned, bowing his head and gritting his teeth. I reached down and started pumping his erection, each jab into his entrance timed with a firm squeeze. Danny's head snapped up, eyes heavy with lust. He groaned and arched his back, pressing into my erection and loosing the battle to outlast me with every thrust.

He gave a strangled cry and stained the sheets, groaning loudly. I bit his neck from behind, his hot flesh pulsing against me as he rocked back and forth, eye's squeezed shut. I let go, groaning when I finished my climax inside of him, feeling him shiver and press into me.

Danny's arms were still shaking, and when I slowly dragged myself out of his entrance I noticed a few blood stains on the sheets. The pang of guilt only lasted a second though. I knew this sort of thing would probably happen. I wasn't exactly gentle. Danny didn't seem to care, judging by the smile spreading across his face. I lowered myself back to the bed beside him, pulling him to a cleaner spot and hugging him close, listening to his rapid heart beat and labored breathing die down.

"Wow." he gasped, running a shaky hand through his hair.

I gave a breathy laugh at his simple description, but agreeing with him all the same. Danny took a last deep breathe to steady his gasps and slowly turned around, wincing slightly.

"Damn, Vlad, I'm gonna be sore for a week." he leaned into my chest, giving me a look.

"You can't say you didn't enjoy it." I smirked, a shrewd look in my eye.

Danny thought about it for a moment and then gave a relenting shrug, nodding his head.

"True."

He laid on my bare chest for a while, dancing his fingers over my skin absentmindedly. I rubbed his back affectionately, my mind drifting (mostly to sex), enjoying his company while I still had it. Danny yawned quietly and settled back in, a content smile on his face.

"Danny?"

"Hmm?"

"I think I'm going to teach you teleportaion today."

His head snapped up, the surprise in his eye lasting for a second before he gave me an exasperatedly look.

"About damn time!"

I laughed a little sheepishly.

"I didn't mean to wait this long." I shrugged apologetically. "Things got in the way."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Like he didn't know the answer to that.

"Not much," I replied flippantly, playing along and pulling him into a long kiss.

"Mostly this." I hummed, glossing a hand down his back and dragging it back up.

"Ah. Well I can see how that would distract you."

"Indeed."

Danny grinned, kissing me quickly and then sitting up to straddle my waist, a pained look coming over his face unexpectedly.

"Aah-shouldn't have moved so fast." he winced, glaring flatly at my laugh.

As much as I loved his position, I sat up as well, an amused grin still on my face even as I stretched my arms and back. Danny looked up at me, the glare gone and an expectant look on his face. It wasn't hard to figure out what he wanted.

"After breakfast. Then I promise I'll teach you."

He sighed, glancing at the clock.

"It's lunch."

"After lunch then." I replied patiently, scooping him up in my arms and standing from the bed.

"Would you stop that!" he squirmed. I ignored him.

"I can't wait until I get taller. Then you won't be able to pick me up any more." he crossed his arms when he realized I wasn't going to put him down, pouting adorably.

"You have a long wait for that little badger," I reminded him with a smirk, "and even then, I'll still pick you up just to annoy you."

"Jerk."

I grinned, carrying him into the bathroom and into the shower.

Unsurprisingly, I ended up molesting Danny a few more times, dragging out what should have taken fifteen minutes into an hour. By the time we were dried, clothed (again) and walking out the door, Danny was a little dazed and it was well past noon.

"I love coming here." he wrapped his arms around my waist, smiling blissfully.

I grinned, ruffling his hair and feeling my ego rise a few more notches. We made our way downstairs, the smell wafting from the kitchens leading the way. We stayed clear of the smaller kitchen, where just last night the future had blown up in our faces. Instead we headed outside again, to the same spot where I cooked him his first meal here. Danny remembered it, laughing and shaking his head about how paranoid he'd been.

Two plates were already on the little table, having been placed there ahead of us. Danny ate his lunch slowly, compared to the other meals he'd inhaled here, taking the time to savor the food together. We talked and laughed, steering clear of any topic concerning Amity Park.

"This is a really good salsa." Danny commented lightly, popping a chip in his mouth with a grin.

"You can ask the chief for the recipe, although, judging by our Japanese style lunch, you might not want to know the ingredients."

"Hmm, probably." He nodded gravely, eyeing the dip warily for a moment before shrugging and dipping another chip.

"The chips are kinda gross though."

"That's because there not real chips."

Danny gagged, coughing.

"Well then what are they?" he choked, dropping the chip in his hand and staring at it.

"Dried vegetable crisps."

He stared at me with a moderately horrified expression.

"Vlad, that's disgusting."

"I'm not even going to bother telling you what's in the dip."

"Ah! What the heck am I eating!" Danny yelled dramatically, pushing the dip bowl far away from his plate.

I received a simmering glare in response to my laughter, he obviously wasn't amused.

"Oh, come now Daniel." I rolled my eyes, "Surely you can step away from American fried potato chips for a little variety, hmm?"

"Variety? Yes. Dried vegetable crisps? No."

He didn't touch the crisps or the dip for the rest of the meal.

"When are you going to teach me teleportation?" he asked once the meal was finished and we were returning to the indoors, bouncing along beside me.

"Not easily distracted today, are you little badger?" I laughed, "I suppose now would be a good time, although we might want to wait until your lunch settles."

Danny waved away the advice, much too impatient to wait. I shrugged and let him lead the way to the training room, knowing any argument would be futile. He always likes to learn the hard way.

"Now teleportation is quite possibly one of the most difficult techniques to learn." I began as we made our way down the halls.

"It took me years before I could fully master it, thus, you shouldn't be disappointed when you don't teleport today." He looked slightly put out by the news, but it couldn't be helped.

"We're just gonna be doing boring exercises, aren't we?" he sighed.

"Pretty much." I smiled apologetically, ruffling his hair when his shoulders sagged a bit.

"Don't be too disappointed, Danny. The exercises we do today will help with forming stable duplicates as well. I expect you'll be able to form four solid duplicates in about four months time."

"Four months!?" he gapped.

"Danny, you're going to live for the next millennium. Four months isn't a long time."

"Well it's long right now." he mumbled.

"We should work on your patience." I noted, smirking at his scowl.

The training room offered ample space to practice teleportation, but I lead him to a secluded corner of the massive room, where nothing but a large square of blank space rested.

"I've spent the last month or so teaching you combat and evasive maneuvers, both offensive and defensive." I began, standing in the middle of the open space and transforming into my ghost half.

A flash of light alerted me to Danny's transformation, and when I turned around I saw Phantom standing before me, a curious shine in his neon green eyes.

"Today, I will start teaching you about your powers themselves." the laws of gravity fell away as I took flight, hovering several feet above the ground. Danny lifted off slowly, following me into the air.

"You mean like Star Wars stuff?"

I rose an eye brow.

"I suppose if you want to think of it that way..." I trailed off, crossing my arms lightly.

Danny shrugged, awaiting instructions.

"As you are well aware, ghost powers take time to develop. With more time comes more matured power which allows new degrees of control to be harnessed. For example," I rose a hand in the air, palm facing up.

Danny jumped as a sudden bolt of white hot electricity spiked from my hand, the single jagged streak stretching to the ceiling and leaving a large, black mark in the white paneling.

"That alone took months to achieve. At first all I could do was short circuit my entire mansion." I rolled my eyes, smirking at Danny's dumbfounded look.

"How do I do that?" he asked slowly, staring at the black explosion mark on the ceiling.

"I'm not sure if you can. Ghosts develop different abilities just has humans are born with different talents. Perhaps you will be able to bend electricity eventually and perhaps you won't. The point is the degree of control I have over my abilities. What abilities do you have complete control of?"

"Uh...ecto blasts, shields, about three clones,a weird whip-stinger thing, and the usual invisibility and intangibility and stuff."

"As you focus more on where the power behind these attacks comes from, you will develop a certain understanding of them." I nodded, "Naturally, this will lead to better control of your powers and new abilities."

"Sounds complicated."

"Not really," I gave a small smile, floating forward and taking one of his hands.

"Form a ball of ectoplasm."

He did.

"You did it without thought because its become second nature to you, but do it again and this time focus on _how _your formed the ectoplasm."

He let the glowing green ball dissipate and did it again, this time slowing down and staring at his open palm with concentration, the new ball growing from the size of a cherry to a baseball.

"How did you do it?" I asked.

"It...it felt like I pulled the ectoplasm from my own hand." he looked confused, letting the ball dissipate and doing it again for good measure.

"That's because, in effect, you are. The ectoplasm used to fuel blasts, shields, and this ball comes directly from you, straight from the stream of ectoplasm flowing beneath your skin."

Danny made a face.

"Ignoring the fact of how gross that is, how am I able to blow things up and form it into shields if it's supposed to be running through my veins? Doesn't that mean I'm a walking bomb?"

"Yes, you are." I smiled, proud of his insight. "If you chose to do so, and had the skill, you could turn your very body into a massive bomb. I recommend against that, but the option is there."

Danny looked a little nervous.

"I could blow myself up? But...sometimes I accidentally use powers and I don't know how I do it. I'm not gonna accidentally self destruct one day, am I?"

"No, I wouldn't worry about that." I smiled, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "The degree of control required to shift your entire being into one contained explosive is too far beyond the basic abilities of a ghost. You'd have to really be focusing on your own end for something like that to happen."

"Oh." He said softly, still looking a little troubled. "But, does that mean you could shift your body into something different? You mentioned shields. Could I, like, form myself into one giant shield?"

"Indeed you could. You can probably manipulate the ectoplasm in your body to form just about any attack you can produce outside you're body, similar to shape shifting."

"Sweet." He beamed, "But you can't do it accidentally, right?" his tone dropped into worry again.

"No, it requires too much concentration to be preformed by accident."

He nodded slowly, looking reassured.

"So how do I do it?"

"Ah, yes, the basics." I smirked at his drop in enthusiasm.

"Ugh. I hate the basics."

"I know, unfortunately they're a necessary evil in the world. Now, form another ball of ectoplasm, but this time let it grow to the size of a basketball."

He opened his palm, letting the green energy come forth and grow to the correct size with little effort.

"Let it grow bigger, but be sure to remain in control." he did as he was told and I continued talking as the swirling ball of potentially explosive ectoplasm grew.

"Notice how your body becomes more and more drained the bigger the ball gets. Your body is working furiously to cycle the ectoplasm within you, but the more you drag out the less there is to cycle."

He was sweating by now, face set in a hard glare. The ball had grown dramatically, at least as big as Daniel himself.

"The more you practice, the more your body will be able to recharge itself of lost ectoplasm. Think of your body as out of shape. The more you do this simple exercise, the faster you can recharge and the stronger you will become."

"Vlad..." Danny grunted, sinking to the ground and struggling to hold up the bus sized ball.

He looked about ready to drop the contained energy, which would have resulted in disaster. I rose a hand to the ball, placing it on the swirling, but dormant ectoplasm and drawing it in like a leech. Danny's arms stopped shaking as the ball decreased in size, letting out the breath he'd been holding.

I breathed deeply, raising my other hand and letting out the accumulating ecoplasm through a low charge ecto blast. Danny's head snapped in my direction at the noise, but he didn't loose control of the ball. Once it was reduced to a more manageable size, I let go, and Danny lit it dissipate with a sigh, quickly falling to the ground.

"Good." I stared down at him. He looked up at me, panting and sweating. "Now do it again."

"What!"

"Well you're not going to get any better if you don't practice." I smirked, crossing my arms.

"I can't do that again! I'll drop it!" he croaked, forcing himself to his feet.

"Don't let it grow that big. Hold it steady once it hits the size of a car and then draw it back into you."

Danny grumbled irritably, but did what he was told. I watched as he called the cherry sized ball back and let it expand. His stance had improved without me pointing it out, which was good. He was able to hold up the mini-van sized ball without as much straining. The ball slowly reduced in size as he drew the power back into him, his breath becoming less labored with the replenished strength. He dropped his arms when he drew in the last bit, leaning on his knees and breathing deeply.

"Again."

With little complaint he forced his arms back up, letting the ball grow for the third time, though it was slower. I had him hold it for a few minutes before letting him draw the energy back in, making sure to warn him about the the potentially explosive result should he draw it in too fast and loose control.

"And how...is this...teleporting?" he grunted as he held the ball for the fifth time, legs shaking now.

"It's not. We're simply building your strength. You can't run before you can stand Daniel."

He groaned.

"I told you it would be a long process."

He staggered around the seventh time, unable to make the ectoplasm grow past the size of a beach ball but still giving an admirable effort. Only on his instance did I let him try one last time, but he couldn't even force it to grow past a basketball now. He fell to the floor when it dissipated, chest heaving for breathe.

"This...is...hard." he gasped from his spot on the floor.

I walked up and stood over him, hands on my hips.

"Doesn't get any easier, love."

He groaned again, rolling over and covering his head with his arms. I chuckled quietly before reaching down and helping him to his feet, transforming back into my human form. Danny followed my lead instantly, letting go of his ghost form almost with a sigh of relief.

"Are we done?" he breathed.

"I expected you to force out another attempt." I teased.

Danny glared weakly at me, pushing away to stand up on his own two feet.

"I'm tired. Like, really tired. This is worse than four hours of sparring." he took a deep breath, running his fingers though his midnight hair.

"At least you're finally acknowledging your limits. I wouldn't have let you continue anyways."

I caught a challenging gleam in his eye, but he relented, his fatigue getting the better of him. He sighed, looking thoughtful for a moment before placing a hand on his stomach.

"I'm hungry."

Danny grinned sheepishly at my laugh, following me out the door and leaving the training room behind. I brought him down to the kitchens where he rummaged through my living room sized pantry, muttering about finding real chips and what not.

"Sorry my boy, but you won't find your beloved sour cream and onion in there." I smirked, leaning against the door frame.

"Sour cream and onion? Gross." his muffled voice came from within as he dug through the shelves.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, actually, I doubt you'll have-ah! Never mind, found'em!"

He pulled out a bag of chips, holding them up as though he'd found the holy grail. I squinted into the light and had to hold back a gag.

"Salt and vinegar? Good lord Daniel, who eats those?"

He left the pantry, cackling and ripping open the bag, offering a rancid chip. I felt my stomach turn, making a mental note to keep tabs on the inventory of my pantries.

"I'm not kissing you until you drink a bottle of mouthwash." I grumbled, the pungent vinegar oder burning my nostrils.

Danny just grinned, crunching loudly on a handful of chips.

Some time and several bottles of mouthwash later, we both found ourselves once again outside, the warm sun kissing our flesh and reflecting off the crystal clear water of the pool. We ended up taking a swim, and I molested Danny again. It was a most enjoyable way to spend some time in the sun.

"Thanks for stopping the ghosts in Amity." his voice floated up, serene contentment in his tone.

I squinted down at him, sprawled so perfectly across my naked chest. The gently swaying leaves of the willow tree islanded in my pool secluded us from the mansion, allowing flickers of sunlight to brush over his wet back. The droplets of water glistened like diamonds and I ran a few fingers up the moist skin, feeling him shiver.

"You're always so gracious after sex." I smirked, propping an elbow up in the grass to get a better look at him.

"I would compliment you here, but I don't wanna feed your ego."

"I bet I could change your mind." I grinned, bringing his lips tantalizingly close to mine.

"Ah-I bet you could..." he breathed, and in moments we once again sunk to the base of our desires.

It wasn't until the sun was behind the trees and the warm breeze turned chilly that we headed inside, settling down for the last few hours of the day in front of the fire place. Danny, clothed in loose pajamas as usual, curled up beside me, laying his head on my shoulder. He was quiet, lightly playing with one of the buttons of my suit.

I was still worried about him, his quiet demeanor doing nothing to help quell my concern. I wouldn't be there to hold him on Monday. He'd be at the mercy of his hard headed friends then, alone. He looked up at me with a wane smile when I kissed the crown of his head, his own unguarded fear easy to see in his eyes.

"We still have tomorrow, little badger." I said quietly, running my fingers through his hair.

"Yeah..." Danny sighed, pausing for a moment before scooting closer.

The utter silence of the house was empty, filled with a kind of hidden dread. The distractions of the day seemed to be thinning, the veil hiding us from the uncertain future growing transparent. It was a long while before Danny spoke up again, his voice small in the surrounding space of the room.

"You think they'll ever change their minds?"

Honestly? ...No.

"Give them time, I'm sure they'll come around eventually, at least for your sake."

"But what if-"

I reached down and kissed him full on the lips, stopping his worries in there tracks.

"I'll always love you Daniel."

He stared at me for a suspended moment, a smile breaking way as he let go of his fears for just a little bit longer. I wished I could do more than provide petty distractions. I wanted to take all of the problems away. Unfortunately, for all my money and power, I couldn't change the opinions of three teenagers, no matter how much those opinions hurt my Daniel.


	19. Chapter 19

Oh God of Fanfiction, it is only by your grace that I managed to keep my sanity through this chapter. I thank thee.

Just to warn you, I struggled with characterization in this one. Please tell me when you see mistakes. (Duh) And Danny's kind of an angsty little girl in this one. I promise the next chapter will be better.

Enjoy!

* * *

Danny PoV

* * *

"Danny-?"

"I gotta go to school!"

I slammed the front door in my sister's face, furious tears dangerously close to leaking out. I rubbed them away as I stormed down the sidewalk, feeling embarrassment mix with my anger when the hot liquid smeared across my face. Why does she always have to be such a nosy jerk?

Sam and Tucker where nowhere to be found, not that I was surprised. Still though, it was just adding salt to the wound. I stomped my way to school alone, just as I have all week, oblivious to the warm spring air and shining sun as more of Jazz's psychology crap echoed in my ear.

It's amazing how fast time flies when your pissed and how slowly it drags on when your depressed. In no time at all I was at Casper High, its large structure sending sharp knives of ice through my heart despite the anger. I knew what awaited me in there, or rather, what didn't.

The warning bell hadn't rung yet, so students were still milling around the front lawn. They sat in their safe little group of friends, just like they did everyday, talking and laughing loudly with each other. I glared at them, jealously boiling in my stomach. A few kids were giving me curious looks, the rumors still flying around. Doing my best to ignore them, I trudged forward, only to stop when I noticed two people who were hanging out by the front door.

Sam and Tucker were relaxed against the concrete steps. Sam was writing in a notebook, and Tucker was, of course, playing with his PDA. Mikey and Lester, two dweebs who had latched onto them, were on the stairs above playing chess, arguing about something or another. Guess things hadn't changed much over the weekend.

Barely seconds after that thought finished, the warning bell rang, making me jump and my gut fill with automatic dread. Teens groaned and pulled themselves from the grass, still muttering and laughing between themselves. Mikey and Lester packed away their chess board as Sam and Tucker stood up, the former tapping her foot impatiently as Tucker put the PDA in sleep mode.

I stood there, feeling people bump into me without apology and move on. Getting the motivation to walk forward was too difficult, but that might have been because two certain people were still hanging out by the front steps. Pathetic, I know, but I didn't have the strength to walk past them and be ignored anymore. As sad and cliché as this sounds, it really just hurt too much.

But then Tucker stood straight, laughing at something Sam had said. He safely stowed away the PDA in one of his cargo pockets and by happen of chance, by something that had to be pure luck or pure curse, he glanced up and met my eyes for the first time in a week.

Unsurprisingly, I completely froze up. My eyes widened, my heart started racing, and every muscle was suddenly tense. I felt like one of those deer in the headlights of a car, unable to move and not a clue of what to do.

But then Tucker quickly looked away and all but dragged Sam back inside, not once glancing behind him.

The last of the students pushed their way passed me. I think a few of them might have made some cracks about me, but I wasn't listening. A low thud made it to my ears as the doors shut and not long after, the bell signaling the start of class rang across the empty grounds.

I didn't quite feel like moving yet, so I just stood there. Other than a few cars driving by, it was very quiet. It wasn't going to be this quiet and peaceful when I walked through those two front doors. Mr. Beta would yell at me when I walked in, the students would snicker and laugh at me, it'd sit through first period sick to my stomach about facing the next class, and then it would come so slow and yet so fast and I'd be trudging my way through Lancer's door. I'd take my seat in the corner of the class, ignore the stares from everyone else, and Sam and Tucker would pretend I didn't exist for the entire day. Then I'd go home, go to sleep, and do it all over again tomorrow.

Honestly, I just didn't care anymore. What was the point? Sam and Tucker hate me so much they can barely stand to glance at me. Jazz thinks I'm a delusional basket case, Mom and Dad think I'm turning manic depressive, and worse, I can't even talk to Vlad anymore.

With that last thought, I swallowed the lump in my throat and turned away from the school, putting as much distance between me and them as possible. I was tired of dealing with it, but I couldn't stop replaying those two seconds that Tucker looked at me, two seconds of ridiculous hope that he was actually going to acknowledge my existence, and then the two seconds that he turned away and left me outside.

I passed the park, not wanting to be in such a public place. On a whim, I slid into an ally and transformed into my ghost half, taking to the sky and heading to the highest point in town, the same spot where Johnny 13 took Jazz all those months ago. Mom and Dad would kill me for this, and Jazz would probably get suspicious as hell, but whatever.

Maybe I should start from beginning, or at least, the first day of school after I last saw Vlad. He always told me I had a bad temper, and of course, my temper is half the reason why school is such a pain in the ass now, and why Sam hates me even more...

* * *

_One week ago_

* * *

The bell was ringing, but I wasn't moving my legs any faster. Casper High loomed in front of me, casting it's imposing shadow over the empty lawn. I couldn't find the drive to get to class on time for fear of what awaited me inside. Besides, it was a Monday. Even if my friends weren't probably waiting to ambush me I'd still want to avoid class.

I trudged forward, forcing one foot in front of the other and trying not to focus on the lack of Sam and Tucker beside me. The hallways were clear of students when I pushed the doors open, a few pieces of paper falling to the floor from the warning bell rush.

The utter emptiness of the halls only served as a constant reminder. I hadn't seen my friends since they stormed out of Vlad's kitchen Friday evening, and if Jazz's behavior was any indication of what I had to look forward to, it wasn't going to be a good day.

My sister had been waiting for me the night I returned home, sitting on my bed with a determined glare in her eye. I was treated to about ten different reasons as to why I was too young to handle an older relationship, and why it was completely messed up to begin with because it was _Vlad_. I tried to keep in mind that she was just worried about me, but after the second hour of hearing about Vlad being a creepy pedophile and me a naïve little boy, I kinda snapped. Needless to say, she's now miserable _and_ angry at me.

My science teacher gave me a dirty look when I sauntered into the class room, but for some reason he didn't give me detention. I had been kinda hoping he would. Detention means putting off going home to Jazz for at least an extra hour. The other students ignored me, all too used to my tardiness. I slouched down in my seat, feeling unusually excluded from the other teens. They didn't have a dark, disgusting secret like I did.

Focusing on the lesson was pointless. I was too distracted to pay attention. All I could think about was next period, where I'd finally see Sam and Tucker. What would they say? How would they react?

Jazz's words continued to echo around in my head, and I pulled my jacket tighter over my shoulders. Hopefully they wouldn't say anything like she did.

_"Danny."_

_"...Jazz."_

_She was too stiff on my bed, like some corporate business worker. I slowly lowered myself in the desk chair, eying her stubborn expression apprehensively. It was like the calm before a storm, and I knew I wasn't going to like anything she had to say. The evening sun was gone behind the buildings, so I reached over and turned on the desk lamp as something to do, waiting for her to end the silence. _

_"You stayed with Vlad this weekend?"_

_I was tempted to bite back with a sarcastic quip, but I didn't want to be the one to start any conflicts._

_"Yeah." I replied innocently._

_She nodded her head slowly, looking like she was debating on saying something. My stomach slowly sank and I suddenly got the feeling that I didn't want to her what she had to say. I was right._

_"Danny, I don't want you going over there ever again."_

_"What!" Instantly, I was on my feet, all thoughts of peaceful negotiation gone. _

_"You can't do that! It's not any of your business!"_

_"Yes it is. I'm your sister, I have to look out for you when you won't look out for yourself."_

_"Jazz, there's nothing for you to look out for! I'm fine!"_

_"Having that kind of relationship with _him _is _not _fine, not to mention illegal. You don't know what you're getting into Danny. This is too much for you to handle."_

_"Will you stop treating me like I'm five? I can deal with this just fine! And I think I know my own emotions a little better than you do Jazz."_

_"I don't think you do, in fact, I don't think you realize how serious of a problem this is. He may be twenty-five physically, but psychologically he's in his forties and that's the part that counts. This isn't right, Danny."_

_My fists clenched, blood pounding furiously in my ears. She couldn't keep me from Vlad, she couldn't. She didn't understand _anything_. _

_"I know you're upset, but you'll thank me eventually. It's for your own good, little brother."_

_"Just shut up Jazz. I don't know why you insist on being a stuck up know-it-all, but I'm sick of it, and I'm not going to let you ruin this for me. You have no clue."_

_"Danny, do you even hear yourself?" she stood from the bed, looking anguished. "How can you possibly defend this situation? He's beaten you, kidnapped you, hurt your friends and family, and now you're in love with him? You have to see how ridiculous this is."_

_"It's not a joke Jazz. I know him better than anyone. He's changed."_

_"It doesn't matter how much he 'changes', Danny. Your still a minor, and that makes him nothing more than a pedophile." _

_"So what does that make me!?" I shouted, fury boiling over. "I enjoy every damn minute of it! Hell, I start half of it. Am I just a creep too? Just some sick, twisted little freak?"_

_"Danny, you're confused! He's the only other hybrid, which may explain any attachment you have to him. It's not love Danny, please, you have to see the truth."_

_"No, you don't want me to see the 'truth', you want me to see things your way."_

_"Because it is the truth! I can't let you live in these delusions. You're just going to end up getting hurt."_

_"God, you're more self righteous than Vlad."_

_"I'm serious Danny! If you go back there again, I'll tell Mom and Dad everything." _

_I froze, everything froze. The hard glare in her eye's held no room for doubt. I felt my anger extinguished by fear, my breath shallow._

_"You wouldn't."_

_"You know I would."_

_"It's my secret to tell."_

_"Not when it's something like this, it isn't."_

_My voice was caught in my throat, I couldn't force out even the smallest sound. There was no way. She couldn't..._

_"It's for your own good, Danny."_

The bell rang, making me jump in my seat. Reality smacked me in the face, and my heart started to race of its own accord. The low mumble of students surrounded me as I followed their lead on auto pilot, grabbing my books and stumbling out of the classroom.

"Move, Fenton."

"Watch it."

"Look where you're going, would you?"

It was too crowded here, I needed to breathe. Liberation in the abstract form of a janitor's closet miraculously appeared in front of me and I didn't hesitate to fall inside. It was quieter in here, the mumble of high schoolers muffled beyond the door. I let out a shaky sigh of relief, sliding to the floor.

I didn't know what to do. I couldn't go see Vlad, or else Jazz would spill our secret. But I couldn't do this on my own, I needed his help. I haven't even seen Sam or Tucker yet and I was already falling apart.

My moment of peace wasn't meant to last though, and no sooner than after I buried my head in my arms, the bell rang again, and with it came a whole new set of anxieties. I still haven't faced them. What were they going to say? What was Sam going to say?

Butterflies started up in my stomach as I fumbled with the door knob, sneaking out into the blissfully empty halls and forcing myself to Lancer's class. Every step brought me closer, dread leaving me light headed.

Before I was ready, Lancer's door was in front of me and I could hear his voice through the misted glass. My best friends were in there. Would they care if I didn't show up? I felt the sick butterflies twist in my stomach when I grasped the door knob, my knees suddenly too weak. I wanted to go home. No, I wanted to go to Vl-

"_The Time Traveler's Wife _Mr. Fenton! How long are you going to stand outside my door?"

He was suddenly in front of me, having yanked the door open while I stood there like an idiot. I think people were laughing at me, but it was nothing more than a muffled buzzing in my ear. Lancer glared down at me as I wobbled in, swallowing thickly. I think he walked back to his desk, telling the other students to quiet down while I was frozen before the class, warring with myself and stalling the inevitable. Finally, when I couldn't put it off any longer, I looked up to face Sam and Tucker.

But they wouldn't even look at me.

Sam was scratching things in her notebook, an idle look on her face. Tucker had decided his English lit book was more interesting, and practically had his back turned in my direction. It was like I was invisible.

"Well Mr. Fenton? Care to take your seat?"

I flinched slightly, the laughter not reaching past my hears. My seat was between Sam and Tucker. Mr. Lancer raised an eyebrow when forced my stiff body to stumbled into an empty desk behind Mikey. He glanced at Sam and Tucker and back to me with a curious expression. However, high school conflicts weren't worth his precious teaching time, and he quickly brushed away the problem to ramble on about some book.

It was quite possibly, the worst class of my entire life. An invisible wall set me apart from my friends. I felt unwelcome, like I didn't belong. I couldn't even get vibes of hate or discomfort from Sam or Tucker. I had at least expected them to acknowledge me, but it was like I just flat out didn't exist. I couldn't stop myself from glancing at them every ten seconds, hoping to catch their eye or something. But I was nobody to them, and coming from the two people with whom I'd spent my entire life with, that really hurt.

"Hey Danny, are you and your friends in a fight?" Mikey twisted around in his chair, a hopeful glint in his vulturous eyes.

It was surprising how easy I could turn my hurt into anger so quickly. I glared at him, my black expression clearly telling him I wasn't in the mood. His face dropped and he sheepishly turned back around, muttering a lame apology. I totally bombed the test Lancer handed out, and when the bell rang I didn't rush out with everyone else like usual. My pathetic anger was swept away when I stared at Sam and Tucker. For some reason I couldn't hold on to it when I looked at them, instead being drowned by a black wave of misery all over again.

They gathered their books and left the room quickly, still not finding the time to spare me the smallest glance. I stood next to my desk like an awkward intruder, feeling hollow. Mr. Lancer raised an eye brow again when I slowly dragged myself out the door, dropping the failure of a test into the basket before closing the door behind me.

And to think, all of this is because I was in love with the wrong person.

The health room wasn't far from Lancer's, so I had plenty of time to get to class and sit in my assigned seat. Unfortunately, that assigned seat happened to be next to Tucker. We both thought it'd been a brilliant stroke of luck when the teacher sat us together during the beginning of the semester, but now, it just made me sick with dread.

He was already there when I walked in, and even dragging my feet couldn't stall the confrontation enough. I took as long as possible, slowly lowering my books to the table when I finally reached him. But he was fiddling with his PDA in his lap, determined to ignore me. I tried not to focus on the pain in my chest when I sat down, just as silent as he.

"Okay class, so today were focusing less on the brain and more on the heart. Now who can tell me..."

The teacher's voice faded away, going in one ear and out the other. I glanced at Tucker, but he was still focused on his PDA, making sure to keep it hidden from the teacher. With a quiet sigh I flipped open my notebook, not really aware of what I was doing but just wanting to do something. The teacher didn't notice as I drew pointless doodles in the middle of his lecture; I was barely paying attention to the stupid scribbles myself.

I glanced over at Tucker again, but now he was reading through the text book. I gave him a flat stare, though he didn't see it. He's never even opened his health book before. It was obvious that he still wasn't talking to me, so I turned away from his stoic figure and stared at the little house I'd drawn. It was kinda lopsided and the door was halfway into the ground. I frowned at the little drawing and drew flames along the roof to set it on fire. Stupid house.

I wanted this day to be over, but it had barely begun. If only they would just _look _at me! I was tempted to try talking to Tucker myself, but every time I opened my mouth all I could see was his betrayed face as he ran out of Vlad's kitchen Friday evening.

"Now I hope you all are writing this down because there's going to be a test in a few weeks."

"Aw, come on, Teach! I barely understand the brain!" Dash wailed.

Normally this would have produced a bout of uncontrollable snickers from me and Tuck, and several jokes on the behalf of Dash's intelligence would have quickly followed. However, Tucker didn't even crack a smirk, languidly flipping a page in the text book.

I took that as a sign of defeat, giving up on the day and deciding to just focus on the far off release bell, assuming it ever came. If Tucker couldn't even make fun of Dash with me anymore then there was absolutely no hope with Sam. I shoved the scribbled notebook away and put my head in my arms, hoping the teacher would at least give me a detention for not paying attention. I didn't care anymore.

Unsurprisingly, time passed agonizingly slow. It seemed that every time I checked the clock, the minute hand had barely moved. The teacher was speaking French, Dash was throwing paper wads at me, and I could feel a dull headache cropping up from all the stress. And to top it all off, I still had lunch to deal with.

At long last, the bell rang, but my limbs felt as though they were stuck in goo, slow moving and heavy. Tucker rose from his chair like a silent specter, floating away without a word and leaving me to deal with the dull ache of abandonment.

There was no racing to the lunch room this time. Usually I'd be in and out of my locker in a flash, literally flying to the lunch room under a cover of invisibility, always beating Sam no matter how hard she tried. This time though, I walked at a normal pace, taking my time with the locker and putting off lunch for as long as I could. It's not like I had much to look forward to anyways.

Following the crowd, I headed to the cafeteria, practically invisible in the mess of students and feeling naked without my friends beside me. Shoulders kept bumping into me, causing me to stumble every few steps. It didn't help that I still looked like a scrawny freshmen, even though I'm supposed to be a junior in less than four months. Damn ghost powers.

It was through my crowded vision of people and elbows that I finally made it to the cafeteria entrance, where I saw Tucker meet up with Sam. They both smiled to each other and without a second thought, headed into the lunch room together. I was left behind with the crowd, forgotten and ignored as I had been all morning. I think that might have been my lowest moment yet.

I ambled into the cafeteria, my crushed heart heavier than ever. Teens laughed and joked around me, happy to be in the loose atmosphere of the lunch room. They had no problem relaxing for the free period, grateful to being out of class. I couldn't muster up the strength to feel their happiness, too hollow and tired. The cafeteria food was bad enough with Sam and Tucker, so there was no way I was going to be able to enjoy lunch without them.

Needless to say, the empty feeling didn't go away when I headed outside with my tray of supposed-to-be food. All it took was one glance to see my friends had chosen a new place to sit. It felt like freshmen year all over again, except this time I didn't have my friends beside me when confronting the lunch room seating charts. I hovered near the doorway, probably looking like a complete and total idiot.

When my own awkwardness reached an unbearable level, I finally trudged over to the table I usually sat with Sam and Tucker at, feeling ungodly pathetic as I sat down by myself. Funnily enough, I pretty sure no one was actually paying the slightest bit of attention to me. Seriously, most of my fellow classmates are way too absorbed in their own problems to notice anyone else, so why did I bother feeling so embarrassingly abandoned?

I picked at the food on my tray; I wasn't hungry. The buzzing noise of eating high schoolers was just as muffled and distant as they'd been all day. I stared at a bug that had crawled up on the table, tempted to drown it in the green mush on my tray. Sam would be mad at me if I did that, though.

Sighing, I looked up, carelessly surveying the other students just as something to do. I still had twenty minutes of lunch, and I was already completely bored. Star and Paulina were comparing nails at the jock table. A few band geeks were cleaning their spit-things at the lunch table. Gross. Dash was picking on Lester again-

I stilled, sitting up straight and feeling a new wave of hurt wash over me as I easily recognized two people sitting nearby. Sam and Tuck would rather sit with Mickey and Lester than me?

I watched as Dash punched Lester in the shoulder, causing the smaller teen to fall into his chess board and throwing the pieces everywhere. Sam, ever the defender of the weak, stood up and started shouting as Dash. Out of no where, I just snapped, furious anger coursing through me. How could she have no problem defending some kid she barely talked to, yet she couldn't even look at her best friend? Was she seriously that bitter?

For one crazy, insane moment, I contemplated getting up and stomping over to them myself, fulling intending on letting all my hurt, anger and frustration out in a very verbal ghostly wail.

"_I've always been there for you! I've always watched out for you! And you go for him? All he ever does is hurt people! He steals and cheats and lies and doesn't care about anyone but himself! What do you see in him?"_

And Sam's words chose the most appropriate time to blaze through my brain, my fury instantly squelched and that trench of guilt and misery deepening at the memory. Of course they'd rather sit with Mikey and Lester than me. It's all for the same reason Jazz is going to try and stop me from seeing Vlad. The same reason why they can't stand the sight of me.

Why was I even fighting it? I've always known they'd react badly if they found out, so why am I surprised? Did I ever honestly think they'd just accept my feelings for my once arch nemesis, my much older and similarly male arch nemesis?

I scowled, the stubborn part of me roaring in disapproval and the anger starting up again.

Why should it even matter? So what if he's a guy, so what if he's older. In three years I'll be a legal adult anyways, so what's the difference? We care about each other and I'm happy with him. That's what Jazz always tells me a healthy, stable relationship is supposed to be like. So why can't it be enough for me and Vlad?

A small part of me recognized where they were coming from, that maybe the relationship I have with Vlad was wrong. Problem was, I just didn't care. I'm happy with him, it's not like he's some creep just using me to get in my pants. He actually cares about me too. As far as I'm concerned, that completely voids out the age issue. To bad they don't see it that way.

A bell rang in the distance, pulling me from my thoughts. With a final sigh, I grabbed my untouched tray and threw it in the trash, stuffing my hands in my pockets and scowling at the ground as I followed everyone inside. Art was next, my only class with just Sam. I had a bad feeling that it wasn't going to go very well.

Surprisingly enough, she hadn't switched to another table. I should have guessed she'd be too stubborn to move, though. I walked into the class and gave her a tentative glance, but she wasn't looking at me. Shocker. Trying not to act too bitter myself, I set my stuff down in the seat next to her and went to get my painting. We were suppose to finish them today, but I knew for a fact half the class wasn't going to make the deadline.

Sam already had her paints out, cold silence as thick as a brick wall surrounding her. Trying not to focus on that, I smoothed out my hilly landscape. It didn't look anything like the real place, but it was enough to bring back the pleasant memory, allowing me to retreat to happier times for at least a few blissful moments.

I couldn't stand there and reminisce forever though. My grades were bad enough without failing art (although they had gotten considerably better since Vlad started helping me study). It didn't take long to gather my paints, all I had left was a little shadowing on the clouds.

Sam still wasn't looking at me. I guess I'd gotten used to the hurt though because it was more of a dull pang now than a crushing stab. I wanted to say something to her that would make her forgive me, but I wasn't even sure what I had to be sorry for. It didn't help that apparently she's had a crush on me since middle school, but I tried not to remember that cause it just made everything seem so much worse.

I wish I could talk to Vlad. He may not like Sam, but he'd know what I should do. Although knowing him, he'd say I'm being foolish for even trying to be friends with her. Maybe he's right.

"Almost done, Danny?"

I jumped (thankfully not while my paint brush was on the paper), not expecting Ms. Hue to be directly behind me. I looked back and her and stepped away from the drawing, knowing she'd want to inspect it.

"Uh, yeah, almost. Just gotta finish up the clouds..." I trailed off lamely.

"Hm..." Ms. Hue bent over to look at the painting, nodding with a satisfied smile.

"This is very good Danny. Is it a real place?"

"Um...yeah." I hoped she wouldn't ask too many questions about it, but I wasn't that lucky.

"Oh? Have you been there? It's very detailed, so it must be from memory, right?"

"Uh huh."

"A vacation I suppose?"

"Um, yeah, a vacation." I made a mental note to have Vlad teach me how to lie better.

"Well where ever did you go? It's such a dreamy landscape and I would love to go there myself!" Man, she just wouldn't let up!

"Uh..." I glanced at Sam, really wishing she wasn't here. If I lied, she'd know I was lying and would be even more pissed at me, but then again, if I told the truth, she'd _really _be pissed at me.

I sighed.

Well either way, she's going to be pissed at me. Might as well have a good conscious about it.

"Sorry Ms. Hue, but it's on private property. Vlad Master's took me to this place at his estate in Wisconsin."

Sam froze. Crap.

"_The _Vlad Masters? You know him?" Ms. Hue gapped. I was just about to respond when someone else spoke up for me.

"Intimately." Sam's cold, poisonous voice came out of no where, some-what speaking to me for the first time all day. Ms. Hue gave her a confused look and I about died at her words.

"H-He's a friend of my fathers." I stumbled, giving the teacher my most innocent smile and resisting the urge to stomp on Sam's foot.

"Ah, I see. Well you're lucky to know him, Danny. I'm sure people would die to have a chance to speak with someone as successful as him." She laughed.

Sam gaged from behind me.

"I don't suppose you see him a lot, do you?"

"Oh no, he's sees him all the time! They spend lots of _alone_ ti-"

This time I did step on Sam's foot, restrained anger flowing through me at her loose tongue.

"He's really busy. I don't see him to much." I said too sweetly, silently hoping she would stop asking so many questions.

Ms. Hue looked curiously at Sam and then to me, her face shifting to one of suspicion. I felt my mouth go very dry.

"Oh I see. You don't want too many people knowing you're on good terms with a billionaire, do you?" she'd lowered her voice to a whisper.

"Uh..."

"It's okay Danny, your secrets safe with me." she winked, finally walking away and humming a weird tune.

I had to take a moment to shake my head, but almost instantly I rounded on Sam.

"What do you think you're doing!?" I hissed, teeth clenched together.

She glared at me, her amethyst eyes alight with rage.

"It's called telling the truth, _Daniel_." she hissed back.

For a moment, I was thrown for a loop.

"Wait, what did you just call-"

"What's the matter? _He _calls you that, doesn't he? Or I suppose you like _little badger _more, huh?"

I gapped at her, angry disbelief momentarily rendering me speechless. Really? She was making fun of those stupid nicknames he calls me? For some reason that just made me even more furious. Those were _Vlad's _nicknames, not hers.

"Shut up Sam. Why don't you deal with your own issues without dragging my life into it."

"Your life is my issue, _Daniel_! Believe me, if I could get you out of it, I would."

"Stop calling me that." I growled, blood pounding in my ears.

"What's wrong, _little badger_? Don't like me using his pet names? I would have thought you'd enjoy it, seeing as you already enjoy being his little-"

"SHUT-UP!" I roared, eyes burning neon green.

The hurt and rage and frustration suddenly wasn't so restrained anymore, all of it let loose in that single command. My fists were clenched, breath coming out in furious heaves. Coherent thought was beyond me, too furious that Sam would even have the _nerve _to start saying crap like that again. I even forgot we were in a class room full silent, gaping students, which was very bad.

"I'm sorry you're too self absorbed to see past your own stupid crush, _Samantha_, but I am not gonna put up with any more crap like that! Yeah, I lied to you guys, and I'm sorry, but why are you even fucking surprised!? Like the truth is any better anyways, right?" A slightly hysterical note wove its way into my voice. I think Ms. Hue tried to scold me on my language, but I was too far gone to care.

"It's bad enough that you and Tucker can't stand to look at me," My throat was painfully tight, "Do you really have to make things worse? You already won Sam! Jazz won't let me go anywhere near him or else she'll tell my parents _everything_! What more do you want!?"

I grabbed my bag and yanked the stupid painting off the table, not planing on staying here any longer. I could feel the embarrassing tears starting up and I was so not going to cry in front of her. I slammed the painting on the teacher's desk, yanking the door open and pausing in the door way when a sudden thought hit me. I turned to look at her, glaring right into her eyes.

"You're such a hypocrite Sam, you know that? You're turning out to be just as bitter as he was."

With that, I slammed the door shut, right into her shocked, pale face. Then the tears started falling and I couldn't stop them, not when I went ghost in the janitor's closet, not as I flew across Amity Park, and not went I finally settled on top of a rocky out cliff, the highest point in Amity Park.

The wind blew strong, whipping my pure white hair around and burning my eyes. I sniffed, wiping at the wet streaks running down my face and feeling worse than ever. I shouldn't have shouted at her. It's just going to make everything so much worse. Now the whole school's gonna be making up stupid rumors and she's probably just going to tell everyone the truth anyways because she hates me.

I buried my head in my arms, an incomparable amount of misery flowing through me at the those last there words.

Surprisingly enough, everything else seemed unimportant compared to the fact that Sam totally hates me. And not just Sam, but Tucker too. My two best friends, the two people who I've depended on since preschool want absolutely nothing to do with me. I...I didn't know what to do.

And to make things worse, I couldn't even go to Vlad.

I felt completely and utterly alone, suddenly needing his strong arms around me, pulling me into his protective chest and raining soft words on my ears. But all I got was the angry wind, lashing out at my cold body.

If only I still hated Vlad. Then none of this would be happening. I sniffed again, hugging my legs to my chest. For one fleeting moment, my brain conjured up an image where my friends didn't hate me and my life was back to normal, or at least as normal as normal can be for my life. Vlad was still my arch nemesis, and I even returned Sam's feelings, just like everyone wanted me too. Everyone was happy...everyone...was...

I moaned pitifully, shaking my head in despair. I couldn't do it, I couldn't even imagine it. It felt so wrong. I needed Vlad, plain and simple. I couldn't go back to stumbling through ghost battles, desperately struggling with my own feelings and then hating myself for even having them. How could I put myself back in those chains?

I think that's what cut the deepest, though, the fact that my friends and sister were asking me to.

* * *

_Present Day_

* * *

As predicted, my outburst caused quite a stir with the other students, sending the gossip circles into a raving frenzy. So far I've heard that I'm addicted to crack, I tried housing a bunch of ghosts under my bed, and (I have no idea where the heck this one came from, but the irony does _not _escape me) I tried to kill my Uncle. However, none of them compare with the biggest and most widely believed rumor.

Apparently, the whole school thinks I'm gay.

Honestly, the stupid rumors are the last thing I care about, although that last one is causing me quite a bit of grief. For example, while at first, Dash had been afraid to get near me for fear of catching 'queer', he had quickly gotten over that and started up a new game called 'catch the fagot.' Guess who the fagot is? Needless to say, if it weren't for my ghost powers, I'd probably be shooting myself right now.

I don't know if Sam or Tucker started or contributed to any of the rumors, and truthfully, I don't want to know. They don't try to stop people from making jokes about me, but at least they don't laugh with them. In some twisted way, that probably makes me the happiest I've been all week.

The relative silence of the high cliff was calming, and I felt most of my fears and anguish blow away with the wind. It wasn't exactly a solution, but I reveled in the numbness that consumed my brain. It was easier not to think about my friends and family, easier to forget the reality just down the hill. Jazz called it repression, but it's not like I cared. Repression meant no nagging from her, so I decided I liked it.

I let loose a long sigh, falling back on the scratchy grass and staring at the floating clouds. They rolled by lethargically, taking me with them. It was so calm, so quiet. I felt like I could actually get a hold of what to do next. I wasn't stupid, I knew I was driving myself insane with every day that I just endured the isolation from my friends and family. But what could I do?

More clouds rolled by, more times passed. I played with a random flower next to my hand, twisting the petals and rolling the stem until it became a tangled mess. Sam and Tucker would probably be in lunch by now, happily playing chess with Mikey and defending Lester from Dash. I wonder if they even know I'm not at school? Probably not...

You know, I actually considered going back to Vlad's castle and to hell with Jazz's threat. Mom and Dad are going to find out about my powers sooner or later anyways, so I figured I might as well take the opportunity to see Vlad at the same time. But then I'd remembered that Jazz had threatened with _both _our secrets, and not only that but our not-so-legal relationship as well. I couldn't risk Vlad's entire life just for me.

I shivered a bit, just _thinking _about what would happen if other people found out. It'd be a nightmare. No, I had to find a way to get around my sister without risking Vlad's reputation. I couldn't have _him_ hating me too. That would be...well, I didn't even want to think about it.

"This is so ridiculous." I muttered, irritation getting the best of me for a moment as I ripped up some of the grass. "Why can't they all just stay out of my private life? How does it even affect them anyways?"

Jazz had told me she was only interfering because she cared, which was a load of bull. Why she thinks barring me from Vlad is helpful, I'll never know. And Tucker, we've been friends since preschool, but apparently I personally insulted him by falling in love with Vlad. And don't even get me started on Sam. How was I supposed to know she had a crush on me? She never said anything! Why do girls think guys can read their minds? It's so stupid! It would be so much easier if they were all bluntly obvious like Vlad.

I stilled, the mounting anger slowly trickling away. I stopped pulling up the grass, sighing as my thoughts switched to someone who didn't make me wanna punch the box ghost in the face. And no, the irony doesn't escape me here either.

God, I missed him. Funny, seeing as I once thought I hated him, but I guess that's how fate goes, or some such nonsense. Whatever. I don't care how weird it was, I still miss him. Life is complicated, and Vlad, honestly, isn't that complicated. At least not to me. Maybe that's why I like him so much. He'd be able to make it all my troubles go away with one kiss and even better, he'd be able to solve the problems too. Though usually his methods of fixing things aren't exactly the most morally correct solutions.

I felt my eyes drift shut, a small smile lifting my face for the first time in ages. Is it creepy that I'm only fifteen and yet I still feel so strongly for him? Maybe I'm just letting Jazz get to me. It never felt weird when I was in his arms. That's the problem though, isn't it?

I felt the fleeting smile slide off my face, eyes opening as more thoughts plagued my mind. I wasn't in his arms, I was alone on top of a cold cliff. I haven't seen the smallest sign if him in a week, and though I couldn't honestly bring myself to feel abandoned (Vlad wouldn't do that), I still feel lonely enough to _maybe _believe just a little bit that Jazz isn't totally nuts. Maybe...maybe I'm a little crazy to love him so much...just...just a little unnatural, you know? But I can't stop, so does that mean somethings wrong with me? That I really am just a naïve little boy?

I frowned, defiance sparking as I argued with myself. No, that couldn't be right. Or maybe it is, but I don't care. I do care about him, more than a fifteen year old probably should, but it's so perfect that I can't _not _love him. It just...it'd just leave me empty and meaningless. Jazz can't understand that, and all she listens to are those emotionless books of hers. She doesn't know anything.

"Ugh, I'm giving myself a headache..." I grumbled, mashing my palms against my eyes.

Really, it isn't that complicated. It's only complicated now because my friends and sister are making it complicated. I love Vlad, and he loves me. It's that simple. But that doesn't make the situation any less bearable. My best friends still hate me, my family still thinks I'm nuts, and I'm still alone. No amount of-

Something light landed on the grass behind me, stirring the silence. I quickly sat up and twisted around, hoping it wasn't some gawking-and then my thoughts froze, eyes widening as they took in the vampiric ghost before me. He calmly looked down with an amused smirk on his lips, pupiless red eyes glowing warmly.

"Hello, little badger."

* * *

A-heh heh...cliffhanger?


	20. Chapter 20

It's short, I know, but oh well. The next one will be longer. I would of had this posted _ages_ ago, but I got grounded for three weeks by the rents and I wasn't even allowed to write. The reason? I told my parents I was going to my friend's house to stay the night and actually went over to my guy friends house to stay the night. We stayed up all night eating pizza, drinking monster, and talking about boobs, and I got grounded for it. Super. Lame. *snicker* My parents were so worried I had another secret girl friend. You should have seen the look of relief on my Dad's face when I told him it was a guys house. Priceless! Although I'm not quite sure how to feel about that... ANYWAYS, after fixing my three week deprivation of fanfiction, I set to catching up with all my writing. I have a long way to go. -_- But for now, here's the next chapter of Adversus Adverto.

Sorry for the grammar mistakes. I was kinda rushed while revising it. Oh! And thanks to Candlelight for helping me on this one! ;)

* * *

Vlad PoV

* * *

"VLAD!"

I'd barely registered his voice in my head before I felt a pair of arms squeezing the life out of my neck. Then again I was clutching him in an equally tight grip, so I'm sure he was having trouble getting the appropriate amount of oxygen as well. I wasn't surprised when he instantly started spewing unnecessary apologies, talking so fast I could hardly make out what he was saying. Then he pulled away with a wide grin and kissed me, his lips moving with such desperation that it was almost heartbreaking.

"I missed you..." he finished, hugging my neck again and burying his head in the crook of my shoulder.

I looked down at him with a soft smile, caressing his face for a moment before pressing our lips together again, gently taking control this time. Danny ran his fingers through my hair, moving against me as I explored his mouth. I felt his spectral tail wrap around my waist and slowly lowered us to the ground, setting his comfortable weight in my lap.

"I missed you too, little badger." I smiled, whispering to him softly as I brushed a few strands of hair behind his ear.

Danny smiled up at me, the pure happiness in his eyes having a stronger affect than I'd anticipated. I felt my own face split into a grin, kissing him again for a moment before pulling away. It was almost like we were back at my mansion.

"You do realize you're going to have to repeat everything you previously said. I can't understand a word you say when you chatter away like an over excited monkey."

"Shut up, Vlad." Daniel grinned, laughter in his voice.

I smiled, feeling the plague of loneliness that had been afflicting me all week float away with the sound of his voice. I really had missed him, and I'm sure he's been having a difficult week. Of course, I expect tomorrow it should start to become considerably easier.

"You do remember how to get to my mansion, don't you?" I teased, although by the way Daniel's smile fell, he didn't see the humor.

"Daniel?" I asked, concern coloring my tone.

He looked up at me, a certain misery in his eyes that had me a little worried, though it wasn't difficult to guess what was wrong. I ran my fingers through his feather soft locks again, a sad sigh escaping my lips as I returned him to my chest.

"Tell me everything." I said quietly, hugging him close and kissing the crown of his head.

Daniel's shoulders sagged with a tremendous weight, a heavy sigh caving his chest. His ghostly glow seemed to dim a little as he started talking, and I didn't even need to look into his eyes to see that they had become dull. He told me about Jasmine and how she forbade him from seeing me, lest all of our secrets be revealed to everyone with a pair of ears. He told me about his friends, how they'd barely looked at him over the past week, much less spoken to him. He mentioned his fight with Samantha, loosing control of his temper and cause a storm of consequences to befall him. His parents were on the verge of sending him to a counselor, his sister was constantly berating him for our relationship, his best friends wouldn't even acknowledge his existence-

"And worst of all, I can't even see you anymore." He whispered, valiantly trying to hide his shaking.

"Oh, Danny..." I murmured, leaning back against a tree and laying him against my chest. He sniffed a bit, hugging me close and burying his face in my tunic.

Guilt, a fairly new emotion to me, bubbled sluggishly in my chest. Daniel has obviously been having the week from hell, and while he couldn't have come to see me, I could have gone to him. Granted, I was amidst a storm of paperwork to get me into a position to fix said loneliness, but the excuse seems weak. I'm sure I could have found at least a _minute _to come see him. He's been so miserable here. I honestly didn't expect his friends to keep their anger up for so long. I thought for sure his little computer friend would be the one to get over it first and at least _talk _to him.

I ran my hands over his small form as he laid against me, both of us silent and lost to our thoughts. He was more than just quiet though, gazing into the air blankly and without a clear focus. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Danny was seriously depressed. For a moment the strength of my emotions threatening to overwhelm me. I wanted to tear his friends apart, throw his sister into the ghost zone, set the entire school of Casper High on fire. How dare they treat my Daniel like that? Who do they think they are!?

Daniel shifted in my lap, but I was too distracted with thoughts of homicide to realize he was staring at me.

"You look like you're going to murder someone, Vlad." he chuckled, though the tiredness in his eyes remained.

"I'm thinking about it."

Danny laughed, shaking his head and stretching against me.

"I think murder is a little against the law."

"Only if you get caught."

"Ha ha."

I felt something akin to relief pass through me, smiling wanly down at Daniel. If he could still make jokes then at least there was some hope. But still, I had amends to make.

"Daniel, I'm sorry," I began quietly. He looked up at me, brows furrowed.

"For what?"

"I should have come to see you days ago. You've had to endure a week from hell all on your own for no reason at all. There's no excuse for me leaving you alone for so long, but-"

Danny closed his mouth, obviously about to protest my apology. I felt a smirk start to creep up, anticipating his reaction.

"But, I think I can make it up to you in a couple different ways."

"Let me guess. The first one is sex."

"No, that's the second."

He laughed, god I missed his laugh. The joyous sound died down after a moment and he looked at me expectantly, as though daring me to top make-up sex. I looked down at him with a smug smirk, drawing out the moment before finally revealing my surprise.

"I'm going to be the mayor of Amity Park."

His reaction was perfect. Instantly, his jaw dropped, surprise alighting the deepest point of his eyes. For a moment no intelligible sound made its way out. I could just see the million and one thoughts running through his head.

"Amity Park? Mayor!?"

"Mhmm."

"But...but you'll have to move here."

"Mhmm."

"And...and you'll be around a whole lot more!" a genuine grin started on his face, the implications starting to sink in.

"Mmmhmm."

Danny gapped, half-laughing and shaking his head.

"How the heck did you do all this? What about your businesses or Wisconsin?"

"What about them? I sold several of my companies and the castle in Wisconsin is full of maids to keep it clean while I'm away. After that, I filled out all the legal documents to move to Amity Park, registered for the position, and bribed everyone I needed to to get in as a good standing candidate."

Danny blinked.

"And...and you did all this for _me_?"

"No, Daniel, I did it for Jack."

He gave me a look, though the smile on his face ruined the effect.

"I love having a mastermind for a boyfriend." he laughed, finally relenting and throwing his arms around my neck.

I chuckled at that, leaning back against the tree as Danny shifted, straddling my waist. He was still grinning from ear to ear, the full realization slowly hitting him that I was going to be Mayor of his city.

"But what if you loose?" he suddenly asked, grin falling for a moment.

"Me? Loose? Please Daniel, think of who you're talking to." I said, giving him a look.

He just rolled his eyes, the smile returning with a storm of questions.

"So when are you moving? And where are you going to live? How soon are they going to announce your candidacy? My Dad is gonna go nuts when he hears about it. That's good though cause he'll probably be dragging us to every single one of your events or speeches or whatever. And-"

"How about I answer your questions before you go off on a tangent, hmm?" I smirked, putting a finger to his lips as he smiled at me with wide eyes.

"First of all, I'll be moving in tomorrow-"

"Tomorrow! That fast?"

"It's amazing what you can do with the right amount of money, my boy. Unfortunately, I'll be living nearby Miss Manson, though my house will be much more expensive. It's in an upscale, secluded neighborhood about five miles from your school, in fact. My candidacy will be announced on Wednesday, where I plan on giving a nice long speech about how much I care for the education programs at Casper High. I'm sure it will look good to take a few visits to the school as well, check in on the classes you know. The election itself is about a month away, around the last day of school for you all, I believe. And if worst comes to worse and my popularity isn't as high as it needs to be, I can always overshadow the voters and-"

"No."

I paused, looking down at him incredulously.

"You don't need to cheat, Vlad. You can win fair and square." He said, voice serious. I stared at him for a moment, not quite sure what to say.

"I can't figure out if that was a compliment or if you're scolding me."

"It's...one of those sideways compliments." he smiled, "But seriously, just...try winning without using your powers. Or bribing the voters." he added.

I gazed at him thoughtfully, stroking my goatee. Danny waited patiently, a strong, stern look in his eyes. He was going to be very adamant about this. Damn morals.

"Is that a challenge, little badger?"

"You bet." he smirked.

"Well I suppose I can't back down then, now can I?"

Danny smiled, leaning back on his hands with an almost proud look in his eyes.

"Thanks Vlad."

"You and your hero conscious."

He laughed slightly, the excitement swiftly returning.

"I still can't believe you're moving to Amity. This is great!"

"I'm sure you're friends won't think so." I muttered. Danny's smile faltered for a moment, and there was a frightening chance that it wouldn't make it back up, but then he shrugged.

"What are they gonna do? Talk to me about it?" It wasn't difficult to hear the bitter undertones in his voice.

"Daniel."

"The only real worry is my sister," he continued, voice lowering with sudden dread. "She's gonna go ballistic. I'll have to talk to her. I-"

"Daniel."

"Hm?"

"I think you should try talking to Valarie."

"What? Why?" he scrunched up his face, confusion clear as day.

"You need a friend, and she's a good one. You can't keep dealing with school on your own."

"But she-"

"I know, she hunts ghost," I interrupted gently, "but if anything that will work to your advantage. She'll be too distracted to wonder where you go when you disappear because she'll be disappearing too. Besides, there are hardly any ghost attacks any more, I'm sure it will be just fine."

I watched him frown, not quite warming up to the idea. He's very attached to his friends, even when they've abandoned them.

"But...Sam and Tucker..."

"When they're ready to act like adults, they'll come to you. You can't keep chasing them around and hoping they'll accept you. You're driving yourself crazy."

He fell silent, staring at the ground.

"But...I feel like I'm giving up on them." he finally muttered, voice low.

"Daniel," I said, not continuing until he looked up at me, "Taking care of yourself doesn't mean you're giving up on your friends."

After a long pause, he sighed, sitting straight and leaning against my chest. I caressed his back softly, wishing for the millionth time this week that thing's hadn't degenerated into such a stressful state.

"What about Jazz? When she hears about you moving in and becoming mayor..." he trailed off quietly.

"We'll deal with that when it comes, but this time, I'll be right there with you."

Danny smiled at that, burying his face just a little deeper into my chest. I gazed a him silently, thinking about Jasmine. Perhaps I could pay her a short visit myself. The boy was right, she was _not _going to be happy come tomorrow. I'd just have to convince her to keep her mouth shut. Daniel didn't need anymore problems to worry about.

He closed his eyes when I slowly ran my hand through his hair, feeling the soft locks pass through my fingers. The gentle breeze and the quietness of the outside air was reclusive, isolating us atop our hill. I could see people milling about their daily business far below, oblivious to the two ghosts sharing a brief moment of reprieve together.

Danny looked asleep, slow breath passing in and out of his soft lips. I traced a finger down his jaw line, watching as the corners of his mouth twitched into a smile. He grinned when I tilted his head up, eyes still closed as we kissed.

"You," I mumbled through the kiss, "are absolutely adorable."

Danny shrugged, moving to rest his arms over my shoulders.

"I try." he replied, dragging a tantalizing tongue along my bottom lip.

I hummed in satisfaction, settling my hands on his waist. Danny smiled into the kiss, pointedly pressing against a certain body part of mine and eliciting a low hiss.

"I've missed you Vlad..." he whispered into my ear, his lustrous tone making me smirk.

"In more ways than one, apparently."

He gave a guilty smile, kissing me again and trailing his lips to my neck. I hissed softly when I felt his teeth pull at the skin, my hands sliding down and gripping his thighs. Daniel whimpered when I inched my fingers closer to his growing arousal, tracing slow, torturous circles along the skin tight jumpsuit, a jumpsuit that looked like it was becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

Danny pressed our hips together again, moaning against my neck. I could feel his hot breath slowly turn into pants as I rubbed my palm against the bulge in his pants. His lips touched down on mine, tongues swirling together as we sunk lower and lower into our desire. Danny fumbled with the seamless black belt across my waist, quickly growing impatient and simply phasing it through me. I grinned into the kiss, amusement dancing in my red eyes as I gave him a lidded stare.

Danny mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like "fruitloop," but anymore coherent speech was lost when I phased my hand through his jumpsuit and stroked his erection.

"Oh god..." he groaned, squirming and blushing.

He looked incredibly uncomfortable in his clothes, and I wasn't surprised when he reached for the unseen zipper at the top of the suit and pulled it down. I stared hungrily at his toned, sweaty chest, his usually pale skin turned darker in his ghost half, almost like a tan. I helped him slip out of his clothes, hugging his hot flesh closer and pushing the suit down until it was discarded to the side.

I gazed at his naked form before me, panting, moaning, and mine. He slowly rocked his hips into my stroking hand, hugging his arms around my neck and breathing heavily when I increased the tempo. Danny buried his face into my chest, gripping at my clothes and moaning.

"Vlad...I _need _you..."

I gripped his lower back, tracing up his spine and feeling him shiver. His words pounded in my ears, uttered so pleadingly. Tangling my fingers into his hair, I bent his head back and kissed him fully. Danny moaned, thrusting into my hand pointedly. I grinned into the kiss, listening to him whimper when I moved my hand away from his throbbing cock and brushed a couple fingers against his entrance.

Danny gasped when I pressed the digits in, breaking the kiss and groaning in pleasure. He moved his body against my hand, pressing the fingers in farther with every push. I listened to him groan my name, nails digging into my cape. Danny moaned when I started scissoring his walls, the rubber of my gloves causing more friction. I stretched his entrance slowly, savoring the sound of his voice.

It wasn't until he was begging me to fuck him that I finally removed the digits, bending his head back and whispering into his ear,

"Get on your knees, Daniel."

He swallowed thickly, staring up at me with lust devoured eyes and a wolfish grin. Without a word he obeyed my command, sliding off my lap and facing the city of Amity Park. He glanced back at me with the sexiest smirk I have ever seen, quirking his eyebrows in the most tantalizing way. I grinned, moving and kneeling behind him with a sultry grin.

"You've become quite the little sex kitten, haven't you my boy?" I whispered, gently roaming my hands all over his waiting form.

"Mmmm," he smiled, pressing back against my arousal, "Just for you, Vlad."

With that satisfying thought eternally planted into my brain, I freed the straining erection from my pants and pressed the head of my cock against his entrance.

"I love you, Daniel." I whispered into his ear, nipping the soft flesh.

He gasped, shoulders haunching as I slowly pushed my way into him. A heavy groan poured from his lips when I thrust forward, his hot walls swallowing me whole. I grabbed his hips, needing to grasp something as waves of pleasure began washing over my hazy mind. He was moaning beneath me, breath falling out in heavy pants.

I slowly dragged my cock out and thrust back in, feeling the breath in his lungs hitch and his heart race. His skin was so warm, flushed and damp. I bent over his smaller body, my cape draped around us like red wall. Another loud moan came from his throat when I forced myself in again, his head snapping back and eyes squeezed shut.

I felt him start to rock against my hips, pushing my erection deeper with every thrust. A groan escaped my own mouth as I felt the pulsing warmth surround my cock, his wanton cries making me dizzy. Danny moaned my name, his cries doubling when I started stroking his length. I felt the pure pleasure build, threatening to spill over.

My own clothing was feeling incredibly restrictive, but I was much to preoccupied to worry about it. Danny's beautiful voice was music in my ears, his passionate need consuming all rational thought. I felt his warm body against mine as I pressed my aching arousal deep within him. We both groaned as our climax drew closer and closer. Danny screamed when hit that special spot, his voice echoing over the oblivious citizens. I pulled out and hit it again, burying deep to hear his voice.

Danny moaned loudly, pressing back against me and grinding against my hips. His lidded eyes and panting breathe gave away to the approaching orgasm, and it only took increasing my pace for a few moments before the white liquid spilled onto the grass. He gave a shout, back arching and arms shaking. I groaned and released myself within him, unable to hold out any longer.

He pressed into me again, fists clenching the grass. Danny was taking erratic, shuddering breathes, looking too tired to hold up his own weight for much longer. We rode out the climax for a few more minutes before I finally pulled out, both of us falling to the ground in exhaustion.

Amazingly enough, the clouds were still rolling by in the sky, watching us as we tried to get our breath. I was a little surprised to see such a leisurely sight, adrenaline still pumping through my system. Danny slowly dragged himself over to me, lying across my chest and still panting. After a moment I found the strength to finally phase my cape and tunic off, suddenly feeling his hot body on top of him, uninhibited.

Danny hummed happily, shifting slightly so more of our skin was touching. I wrapped an arm around his back, pushing a few stray hairs out of my face. He looked up at me with a tired smile, red still lingering in his cheeks.

"I like make-up sex."

"I think you just like sex in general, though I can't blame you of course. After all, it is sex with me_._"

He rolled his eyes, lightly pushing against my shoulder. I grinned at him for a moment before stretching, pulling his nude form on top of me completely and listening to the sound of his heartbeat slowly steady.

"You know, I think we have a bad habit of having sex every time we see each other." He commented, laying his head on my bare chest and snuggling close.

"I wouldn't call it a _bad _habit, but..."

"Whatever, Vlad. You know what I mean."

I chuckled, ruffling his hair and staring up at the blue sky. Daniel yawned, tracing lazy designs in my shoulder as we rested. It was nice to just take a moment and not do anything, especially amidst all the chaos we were currently ignoring. I looked down to see a light smile still lingering on Daniel's face. Thankfully, all traces of depression were gone, though I was afraid it wouldn't be long before they returned.

"I think I'll talk to Valarie tomorrow." He said suddenly, his voice breaking my thought.

"...Oh?" I smirked.

Daniel shrugged, still tracing designs along my skin.

"Well I think that's a great idea." I said, hoping he couldn't hear the triumph in my voice.

"Don't sound so smug about it."

Butter biscuits.

Not barely a moment later, a rather terrible sound suddenly came from Danny's discarded clothing, causing the boy to jump. It sounded like someone was shaking up several heavy instruments and shoving them into a tiny speaker.

"My phone!" Danny gasped, quickly sitting up straight.

I glanced between him and the horrible wailing that was now emitting from the lump of material, eye brows quirked.

"...that's a ring tone?"

But Danny was too preoccupied to comment on my scathing question. He scrambled over to his jumpsuit, shifting through the folds and pulling out the ringing phone with a shaky hand.

"It's Jazz." he said, dread in his voice.

I sat up and moved next to him, the previously warm feelings melting away at the look on Danny's face. The fear in his eyes was apparent, face pale and nervous.

"S-she's gonna find out. She's gonna tell everyone." he stuttered, staring at the phone as it continued to ring.

"I'll tell you what to say. It'll be fine Daniel." I said gently, holding him close and kissing his cheek, "Answer the phone."

He glanced at me again and with slightly trembling hands, he flipped open the little, silver device. The grating noise instantly shut off, replaced with an even more annoying sound.

_"Danny! Where are you!?" _came Jazz's voice, shrill and piercing.

I frowned, having forgotten how irritating her voice was. Danny winced, attempting to come up with a quick lie and failing miserably. I made a mental to teach him how lie someday. This was just sad.

"Tell her you're at the library, and make sure your tone of voice is melancholy. " I said quietly. Danny gave me an instant deer in the headlights look and I had to restrain myself from dragging a hand down my face.

"Make sure you sound sad."

"Uh, I'm in the library." he said, sounding more nervous than sad.

_"What are you doing there?" _

"You couldn't deal with school and you just needed a break." I whispered. This was probably very true of what he would have done had I not shown up today, so I wasn't surprised when Danny was able to take it from there.

"Look, I just couldn't deal with school today, alright? I needed a break." I blinked, hearing his tone go from nervous to more than capable in an instant. I looked at him with concern, but didn't dare interrupt. I got the feeling this wasn't act anymore.

_"What do you mean, Danny?" _

"Don't play dumb, Jazz." Danny frowned, "You know Sam and Tucker have barely glanced at me all week, much less said a single word. I can't take it anymore. Not to mention you going on and on about how messed up I am. I just needed to be alone."

_"Danny, I'm not telling you you're 'messed up,' I'm just-" _

"Yes you are. You think it's completely unnatural for me to be happy with someone other than _Sam_." he cut off her exasperated tone, his own biting voice even making me wince.

_"Danny..."_

"I'll be back at school in ten minutes. God forbid I have some time to myself. Bye."

With a harsh snap he shut the phone, glaring out at the city. I was quiet, my own face expressionless. He really should never have such a look of misery and anger on his face. It just wasn't him. I reached out and took his chin in my hand, turning him toward me. The anger slowly melted into sadness as he met my eyes, a heavy sigh sagging his shoulders.

Without a word I reached down and placed a feather light kiss on his lips. Danny didn't let me go though, deepening it for a moment before finally parting. His breath blew across my lips, our faces inches apart. His eyes were truly striking from this distance, an electrifying, neon green.

Danny bit his lip, glancing out to the city before throwing his arms around me again.

"I don't want to leave." he whispered, hugging me close.

I took a deep intake of breath, thinking the same exact thing and pulling his still nude form against me, gently caressing his back. Danny sighed again, grumbling a last word of displeasure before letting go and putting his jumpsuit back on. Following his lead, I returned my own clothing, shifting the belt into place just as Daniel was zipping up his suit.

His legs disappeared into a spectral tail as he floated over to me, a half-smile, half-grimace gracing his features.

"I guess I gotta go back to school. And it's only lunch time." he grumbled, glancing at the time on his phone.

I gave a wane smirked, pulling him in for one last kiss before we parted.

"I'll see you soon, Daniel."

And with that, we were gone.

* * *

Sorry for the lemon. I honest to god tried to write it out, but it just wasn't happening. Stupid horny half-ghosts.

*EDIT: Very slight one though. Danny's eyes are _green_ in ghost form, not blue. Duh Nimrod. Thanks for pointing it out Martel! :)*


	21. Chapter 21

Hi guys! :3 Lookit! I updated! I'm sorry if this chapter is lame. :( It seems kinda flat to me...

Next goal? Update Unexpected Abuse!

Enjoy?

P.S. I don't own Apple. Or their stupid itampons or pads or whatever... Yes, I'm still bitter. It's like Zelda: Windwaker all over again. (although, I actually ended up enjoying that game)

* * *

"Hey Sam."

"Hi Tucker."

That was it. No more words were exchanged as we walked to school. I didn't even get out my PDA. Sam stared ahead in stony silence, her face expressionless. At first glance, a stranger might think nothings out of the ordinary. I'm not stupid though, I know it's still killing her on the inside...about Danny...

We passed the Nasty Burger along our way to school, the restaurant holding a couple teenagers grabbing a quick breakfast. Some guy was attempting to put up a new sign on the billboard behind the fast food joint. I would have laughed at him, cause the overlarge sign was all curled up and folded over his head, but I was too tired. Me and Sam walked on, not even affected by the clear blue sky above our heads.

We made it to school a little early again, hung out with Mikey and Lester cause there was nothing else to do, and dutifully marched to first period when the bell rang. A heavy sigh escaped my chest, disappointment ghosting through me. A small part of me had been hoping to catch a glimpse of Danny before school started, not that I would ever tell Sam that.

We pushed our way through the halls in silence once more. Fellow students were starting to fully wake up now, the beginning shouts of teenagers erupting sporadically from the crowd. I stopped at my locker, glancing at Sam for a moment to see her digging through her own piled mess of textbooks. In no time at all we were done, parting ways to head for first period.

"Bye Tucker."

"Bye Sam."

"Sam, Tucker! Wait!"

Jazz's voice carried over the receding sounds of teenagers. We stopped and turned around in surprise, jolted from our usual, monotone morning routine. The red head pushed her way past a last group of stragglers and skidded to a halt before us, breathing heavily.

"Jazz?" Sam said, raising an eye brow.

"I...need...to tell...you something!" She gasped, hands on her knees.

"Uh, the bell's about to ring." I reminded her, trying not to snicker at her disheveled hair.

"This...this is important!" she coughed, taking a deep breathe and standing straight. "Yesterday-"

And at such a perfectly clique moment, the dinging bell echoed through the hall and interrupted Jazz mid-sentence. We all gave a start and Jazz looked around in disappointment. Although, I'm not sure if she was upset cause the bell interrupted her or if it was because she was late to class for the first time in her life.

"Just tell us at lunch, Jazz. I gotta get to Civics. Mr. Bennett hates it when people are tardy."

"But-"

"Sorry Jazz." I shrugged at her defeated expression, rushing off to first period with Sam. I'm sure whatever Jazz wanted to tell us wasn't that big of a deal. She looked kinda panicky but she usually overreacts to stuff, so it's probably nothing.

My first class was STLP, one of the best classes of the day. Unfortunately, I just haven't been able to get into the right mood to really enjoy it, not that it's too hard to imagine why. My fellow nerds greeted me via email, as usual, commenting about my lack luster mood and the latest Apple technology. Apparently something really awesome is supposed to come out in a few months. Maybe, assuming it's not something stupid like a larger form of an ipod touch or something, I could distract myself with the new technology. I wasn't getting my hopes up though. Like I said, technology has just seemed...bland, lately.

All my projects for the class had been finished months ago, leaving me with nothing to do but play computer games for the best part of fifty-four minutes. The supervisor of the class was pretty relaxed for a teacher. He basically let us do whatever we wanted as long as our projects were in on time and we didn't complain when some noob with a computer asked for help. I had an older version of Doomed up and running in minutes, the pixelated graphics making me smirk nostalgically.

Videogames were probably the next best invention after the computer, the PDA, and the Internet. Simple yet fun, these time consuming entertainment devices were the perfect distraction. The only problem was that the time flew by. One instant you'd be battling for your extra-life in level ten, and the next you'd have to shut down your computer. I spent fifty-four, mind numbing minutes with my biggest priority being to get the next key when the teacher told us to close up.

I debated ignoring him, but the consequence of possibly loosing my videogame time was too risky for me to actually go through with it. I shut down my computer with a sigh and grabbed the moderately dusty textbook, following my kinsmen out the door. It was irritating having to push my way through crowds just so I could get to my locker for a class I didn't even want to go to, but I guess that was life. Lonely, though. Sam caught up with me about five feet from Lancer's class, yawning and looking bored out of her mind. We nodded to each other, automatically falling in step and entering my least favorite class of the day, English.

Immediately, I looked for Danny. Relief I hadn't expected melted through me when I saw him sitting behind Mikey, his face hidden in his arms. The usual guilt I often had when thinking of him soon followed. It didn't help that I still couldn't get his crushed expression out of my head from Monday... Without a word I sank to my seat, thinking about following Danny's example and burying my head in my arms. The invisible weight on my shoulders was making it difficult to sit straight anyways.

"Alright, alright, quiet down." Lancer's loud voice rose above the sounds of laughing, talking teenagers.

Slowly, everyone found their seats and stared blankly at him. He surveyed everyone with his usual calm expression, a big, foreboding book in his hands. He seemed to sense everyone giving the massive paper weight wary looks because he raised it up with a smirk and announced,

"Today, we start with British literature."

A unison groan resounded throughout the classroom. Lancer held up a hand for quiet, aloof expression intact as he continued.

"Now I know you covered Romeo and Juliet with me last year, but Shakespeare has many _many _more plays and poems for us to go over, starting with-Cantabury Tales! Somebody wake up Fenton!"

Seeing as this was pretty much standard for Danny, most of the class barely spared him a passing glance, although a few snickered. Sam didn't turn around, but I sneaked a look, watching Mikey poke Danny's limp head with an odd feeling of jealousy. Usually _I'm_ the one who wakes him up, but... And just like that the guilt came back, crushing everything in it's path and bringing on the misery. I wasn't going to lie, I missed Danny like crazy.

My best friend snapped his head up on the fifth poke, lidded eyes blinking blearily as the snickers increased. He looked exhausted, expertly ignoring everyone else and rubbing the bags under his eyes. I noticed something different about him though, and I ended up staring more than I intended to. Despite his tired appearance, there was something lighter in his eyes, his shoulders held taller...

"Sorry Mister Lancer." he winced, rubbing the back of his head and yawning.

Lancer's frowned deepened, eyes narrowing slightly.

"Since you happened to be absent on _Monday_ and more inattentive than usual _yesterday_, I suggest you try to pay a bit more attention in class _today_, Mr. Fenton."

"Yes Sir." he mumbled, looking as though he hadn't understood a word Lancer said. I felt the corners of my mouth twitch up.

Lancer gave a deft nod and continued yapping, but I wasn't listening anymore (Not that I'd been listening to begin with, but whatever). Danny was staring tiredly at the board, but it wasn't the usual blank, empty stare he's had all week. He was acting different; I noticed it yesterday too. It's like some of the stress has been lifted from his shoulders, but could think of why... Oh well. I guess I'm just jealous. It'd be nice if I could be a little less stressed too.

With a quiet sigh I turned back around in my seat, resting my chin in a hand and staring out the window. It was starting to get to me-well, no, it started getting to me about the third day Danny came back from Vlad's. I never imagined life would be so lonely and boring without my best friend. I know Danny's been having a really hard time. I can see it in his face almost everyday. It's probably killing him just as much as it is me that we don't talk anymore. Granted, it's only been a week and a half, but it still feels like ages.

The worst part is, I know all this misery is my fault. I mean, Danny was the one who lied to us and stuff, but the more I think about it from his perspective the more I can't blame him. Like, at all. If I was in his shoes-well if I was in his shoes I never would have screwed around with the fruitloop in the first place, but that's just me. Anyways, if I _had _I definitely wouldn't have told my friends. At least not for a long time.

Unfortunately that means the real reason I'm not talking to Danny isn't cause he lied to us, it's cause I don't like who he's 'dating,' which it totally crappy for a best friend to do. Even if his...uh..._boyfriend _happens to be a villainous, 40-something year old billionaire. I know the situation is a little different, but I once tried to date a girl who wanted Danny dead. He still stuck by my side though, even if he wasn't particularly happy about it. He never stopped talking to me or anything...

But there's so much more to consider with _Vlad_, and I mean besides the obvious. What if he really is just jerking Danny around? He could do some serious damage to my best friend if he's so close to him! I know Danny says he's changed, but I just can't trust that fruitloop so easily. At least with Valarie Danny could take care of himself. Then again, Vlad's been teaching him how to use his ghost powers. So does that mean Vlad isn't planning on taking advantage of him? After all, why would he help him get stronger if he's gonna have to fight him eventually?

Ugh. My head hurts just thinking about it. Maybe I'm over analyzing things. Sometimes genius can be a curse. Or maybe I'm just making it too complicated. Danny...obviously trusts Vlad, so doesn't that mean I should trust Danny's judgment? He is my best friend, after all.

My eyes shifted down ward guiltily, the swirling pit in my stomach making the _real _reason for my hesitancy obvious. If it was just a simple matter of trusting Danny, I would have accepted Vlad ages ago. But that's just it, isn't it? It's because it's Vlad.

A bubble of anger steamed in the pool of guilt, resentment building up. Well why shouldn't we be upset cause it's Vlad. Danny expects us to welcome him with open arms like it's no big deal or something, but the dude's as old as my _Dad_. So maybe it is just the age thing, and the super villain thing, but I see those as pretty valid reasons to not like Danny and Vlad's relationship. It's just...not right, you know?

But just like that I felt the bubble of anger evaporate, sluggish guilt filling the void once more. Just because I don't think it's right doesn't mean I should treat Danny like a stranger over it. No matter what choices he makes...he'll always be my best friend.

Lancer's voice started to become less muffled as my thoughts slowly inched away from my conflicting emotions. He was talking about Shakespeare again, the same holy reverence in his voice he always has when talking about English stuff. Sam was staring at him with a blank expression, probably only listening to every other lecture. I glanced back at Danny to see him struggling to stay away again, smirking slightly. Must have been a ghost attack last night. But before I could look away, Danny yawned and suddenly met my eyes.

I froze up, my mind instantly reminding me that this was the second time in ten days that we've looked at each other. Sadly enough, it's the closest thing to communication we've had recently. Danny looked as frozen as I was, waiting on pins and needles to see what I'd do, just like he did Monday. His crushed expression from those days ago blazed across my mind, as though reminding me of what I'd done to him and daring me to do it again. Something like defiance blossomed in my chest, savagely stomping the dare out of existence and growling rebelliously. I wasn't about to let Danny go on thinking I hated him, no matter how pissed Sam and Jazz still were.

However, before I could so much as send him a smile, the intercom above gave a loud beep, distracting and silencing everyone in the room.

"Attention teachers!" Principle Ishyama's jubilant voice echoed from above, "Please turn your TV's to channel 5!"

The once dead looking class instantly livened up, smiles spreading at the momentary break from class. Lancer, unsurprisingly, frowned at the intercom, grumbling about interrupting precious class time for pointless news broadcasts. Dash volunteered himself to turn on the TV cause Lancer was moving too slow for everyone's preference. I took the moment to glance back at Danny, only to see an odd expression on his face as he stared at the TV. He looked nervous, eyes occasionally jumping to me but barely lingering for a second. Obviously, he knew what the news was. I was tempted to whisper and ask what it was just as an excuse to talk to him. Dash finally found the right channel, though, and the all-too familiar face on the screen made my stomach drop.

Vlad Masters was standing next to a reporter, looking as calm and dignified as ever despite the crowd of people surrounding the two and the several microphones being shoved toward his face.

"Tiffany Snow here with none other than world famous billionaire and business tycoon, Vlad Masters, here in Amity Park to announce a surprising new turn of events!"

The crowd of people set behind them were waving banners and flags with Vlad's name on it, all cheering and screaming madly. I glanced nervously at Danny, and was surprised to see him glancing at me. We both froze again, and for a moment I almost forgot about the TV, but then Tiffany started talking again and what she said made my mind go blank.

"Coming in as a last minute candidate, Vlad Masters will run in Amity's Mayoral election, due to be held at the end of this month!"

Wait...Mayor? ..._Mayor!_

"Mr. Masters was placed on the ballot early this morning and intends to start campaigning immediately," Tiffany turned to Vlad, "What caused the sudden decision to run for office in Amity, Mister Masters?"

I watched as a catlike smile spread on his face, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"I'm here as a personal service both to someone close to me and the citizens of Amity Park," I froze when Sam suddenly whirled around, giving Danny a dirty look. Guiltily, I turned around as well. Danny looked like he was stuck between the choice to smile or turning metaphorically invisible.

"I've spent personal time in this fair city and have grown attached to its _unique_ charm." The crowed laughed, "I believe I can make a positive influence on the people of Amity Park, both by taking an active involvement in its educational system and helping with the ghost crisis. This is a fine city, full of fine, hardworking citizens. Amity Park deserves the best, and when I'm in office, I intend to give just that."

The crowd behind him went wild, cheering and jumping as he flashed a million dollar smile. I glance back at Danny to see him snicker quietly, rolling his eyes. Sam was rigid, tense and seething. Most of the class was watching the TV with either indifference or approval. Lancer looked rather pleased, smiling at the educational system part. I had a bad feeling about that one, though.

"I hear you even moved to the city itself, am I correct?"

"Indeed. After all, what better way to understand a people than to live amongst them yourselves?"

"Yeah, probably in a high class mansion just like _everybody else_ in Amity Park." Sam hissed under her breathe.

"In addition to making personal sacrifices, you've also had to sell several companies to keep up with the demand of campaigning. How is this going to affect your stockholders?"

"I've left my old companies in good hands. It all depends on how the new CEO's handle the businesses, though I have complete confidence..."

And now he was talking pointless business, which I didn't care about. My brain was still running in circle. Mayor? Mayor? I felt a little betrayed, but I couldn't manage to feel angry enough. I should have seen this coming. We've been treating Danny like a stranger for the past week, Vlad was bound to retaliate some how. Like this is all some sick game.

I looked back at Danny slowly. Apparently the smile won out. He was calmly listened to Vlad with a light expression, obviously not in the class room anymore. I watched as Sam kept shooting him foul glares and then bowed my head, staring at the grains in the desk.

Did Danny ask Vlad to run for Mayor, or was Vlad doing this all on his own? Probably on his own. Danny's been way too miserable to try planning anything, and it's not the sort of thing Danny would do. But it's obvious that Danny knew about this, so does that mean he's seen Vlad recently? What about what Jazz threatened?

I got a nervous bubble in my stomach at the thought of Jazz telling her parents Danny's secrets, especially the one about his powers. It just didn't seem _right_, you know?

Danny's put up with a lot and deserves the right to tell his parents about his ghost half when he wants to. Besides, we already stumbled across something we weren't supposed to find out about, something that was just Danny's business. I have secrets that Danny doesn't know about. Granted, none of them are as big as his, but his life is a different story. Now if Vlad were hurting Danny it'd be different, but he's not. I don't know...I just...can't imagine telling his parents. That would be _too_ much, you know? And I think we've done enough.

"Well there you have it folks! Last minute Mayoral candidate, Vlad Masters, is officially on the ballet! His first speech will be given at City hall this Friday evening; you can check exact times at our website! And don't forget to vote for citizen Vlad on election day!"

Commercials came on and Lancer turned the TV off. Everyone else immediately started a light chatter about the broadcast or high school gossip, ignoring Lancer as he surveyed the students with a light smile.

"Well," he called over the chatter, "What do you all think?"

"I think his name is weird!" Star called from the back, earning a few giggles.

"Yeah," agreed a jock, "It's, like, a super villain name or something."

Ah, irony. Can't get through a day without can I? Danny seemed to be having similar thoughts, snickering to himself. Sam didn't think it was funny.

"I'm sure his name has little to do with his politics, Star. Now if no one has anything meaningful to say we'll continue-"

"I think his name has a lot to do with his politics, Mr. Lancer," Sam suddenly vented, throwing a steaming hand in the air.

The humor is the air left as quick as it had come. I felt the chilly beginnings of a fight coming on. The fact that Danny was giving Sam a cool glare wasn't reassuring.

"How so?" Lancer looked confused.

"Russian name, Russian politics. He's probably a communist." she shrugged.

Some people in the class laughed while others just rolled their eyes. Lancer gave Sam a reproachful frown, obviously not amused by the comment.

"I disagree with Sam's profiling!" Danny announced, raising a challenging hand in the air.

High schoolers, while generally stupid when it comes to book smarts, are pretty smart when it comes to drama. The entire class went quiet when Danny challenged Sam, able to feel the icy thrill of a fight just as I had. A few of the students were even grinning in anticipation, the jocks muttering, 'lovers spat.' Lancer looked oddly at Danny, but motioned for him to continue.

"Just because he has a different name that doesn't mean he's a communist. You don't know anything about him. Don't you think it's a little hypocritical to judge people, _Sam_?"

Someone yelled "Oooooo!" in the back of the class, a hush coming over the crowd. Even Lancer was starting to look nervously between the two, obviously having heard about the shouting match in Mrs. Hue's class and not wanting to have a repeat here.

"Now, Mister Fenton, keep the conversation on track..." he scolded lamely.

"He's a stuck-up billionaire from Wisconsin who knows about as much of this town's well being as _Danny Phantom_. What more does anyone need to know?"

Ouch. _I _felt that one.

"That was low, Sam." I muttered so she could hear me, making sure she heard the disappointment in my voice.

Danny looked smacked in the face for half a second, but the furious glare that replaced it a moment later quickly covered it up.

"You just don't like Vlad because he's a billionaire. Super imposing your hate for your wealthy parents on strangers isn't healthy. Maybe if you get over yourself and just accept the fact that you're _filthy stinking rich_ you'd be able to smile a little more."

"Mister Fenton! That was completely uncalled for. Please take your seat!"

But already people were pointing and whispering, staring at Sam in a whole new light. The disappointment I felt for Sam spread to Danny, and I shook my head in shame for them both. This was just sad. Sam looked around in surprise for a moment, her guilty face affirming the truth loud and clear. However, juggling secrets with Sam when she was angry was a very dumb thing to do, especially for Danny because he had a _lot _of secrets.

"So that's how you want to play, huh?" she muttered through gritted teeth, and I sat a little straighter in my seat.

"Sam..." I began warily, but there was no hope on this one.

"You're only supporting Vlad because _you're _that 'special someone' he's running to be mayor for!"

"KNOCK IT OFF!" I exploded. That's it. I was done. Jazz was gonna spill Danny's secrets to their parents, Danny had spilled Sam's secret to the class, and now Sam was dangling his secrets like a sadistic puppeteer. No one was friends with anyone any more, and if you get right down to it, it's all because we don't like who Danny likes, which is the dumbest reason in the world to loose a friend to!

I felt like someone else was in control of my mouth, causing me to stand up and round on my friends. I turned to Sam's surprised face, pointing a finger at her and glaring,

"You're just mad because he's friends with a billionaire, and you," I pointed to Danny, still seething, "You're upset because you know she has a good reason to be angry with you! So why do both of you get over yourselves and just grow UP!"

And then the bell rang.

It was priceless. No body moved a muscle, not even Lancer. They were all looking at me like I was an alien. Danny and Sam had matching expressions, reflected on the faces of every classmate in the room.

"Uh..." I mumbled, suddenly remembering myself.

"So...so quit fighting...yeah..." I trailed off lamely, looking around and waiting for someone to stop staring at me. I vowed never to step out of my comfort zone again, consciously nor not.

"What about you, Tuck?" Danny suddenly asked, an anguished glare on his face, "Do you have a good reason to be upset with me?"

We stared at each other, and I can go on and say it was some dramatic kind of thing, but it wasn't. We both knew the answer to that. It just took me a little while to accept it.

"No..." I muttered, "It's you're life dude."

Danny's sky blue eyes widened, shocked disbelief on his face as Lancer finally started getting people to move.

"Come on everyone! The bell rang two minutes ago and I'm not writing notes for anyone!"

Me and Danny were still staring at each other, as though waiting for a cruel shout of 'April fools.' I wasn't even paying attention to Sam, who was probably looking at me like I was some traitor.

"Come on you two. You can kiss and make up some where else, get to class." Lancer frowned, hands on his hips as me and Danny jolted into action.

He fumbled his books a bit but managed to keep a hold of them. I saw him glanced at me a little awkwardly and then to Sam, as though unsure if he should wait or not. However, he quickly made up his mind and headed to the door. Danny glanced back at me one last time, still not sure whether to take me seriously or if I was playing a cruel joke. I waved, knowing I'd see him in health where I could finally make this right.

Unfortunately, once he left that basically fed me to the sharks, the sharks being Sam.

"What are you _doing_?" she hissed, following me through the halls as I made my way to next period.

"Going to Health class."

"Tucker, for once in your life be serious! Why are you talking to him?"

I stopped in the empty hallway, her comment striking a nerve.

"Because I'm not five years old, Sam," I glared, "Danny's our friend."

"Our friend? He got a psycho villain to be in charge of our city! Not to mention how he lied to us-"

"What would you have done, Sam? Huh? Told the truth? Don't kid yourself, you're not mad at Danny cause he lied, you're mad cause you don't like who he's dating."

"He is _not _dating him, Tucker." she looked horrified, "They're breaking about twenty laws, morals, and common ethics, that's it!"

"Whatever Sam." I mumbled, not wanting to explain myself to her.

But Sam grabbed my arm before I could walk off, looking more desperate than angry. A teacher's shadow loomed over the far wall and I thought I was free, but she just dragged me into a janitors closet. Her determination scares me sometimes.

"You can't tell me you actually support his decision!" She hissed.

"No, I don't, but that's not the point. We aren't going to agree with every little thing Danny does with his life, and that's just it, it's _his life_. I'm going to be his friend no matter what he does."

"Even if he becomes an evil jerk and tries to take over the world?"

"Danny would never do that." I scowled, "And you know it."

"But if he did-"

"He wouldn't. Even if he stay's with Vlad for the rest of his life, he'd never turn into a jerk. That's why I'm his friend."

Sam was trying to glare at me. It was plain to see that she wanted to be furious. However, as she stared at me with those brilliant amethyst eyes, she looked more pitiful and alone than anything else. It was unnerving to see her without the stubborn fire in her eyes, the will to stay angry sapping her personality.

"Sam..." I said quietly, pleadingly, "I know you miss him too."

She bit her lip, looking away and clenching her fists.

"You don't...I just can't Tucker." she forced out through gritted teeth.

There was a new wall between us. As ridiculous as it sounds, this was turning into an us versus them thing. Sam shook her head and stomped out, muttering 'traitor' under her breath. I reeled back, though she didn't see it. Traitor? How was _I _the traitor?

It was pointless thinking about it though. Sam was just angry and she had a habit of saying hurtful and irrational things in her temper. I just hoped she would see that me and Danny are still her friends soon. I didn't want our friendship to fall apart. It's seemed like a farfetched hope though. I'm not cool with Danny and Vlad cause of the age thing, which is easy enough to get over compared to Sam's problem. She's upset cause she got beat out by a forty year old man. Major ouch.

Wincing and shaking my head, I slipped out from the closet and ambled away to health. I was already ten minutes late, which means I'll be having a detention for sure. I groaned, wishing I could just pop into my seat. Luck seemed to be on my side though (for once), cause we had a substitute. Even better, she was fresh out of college, which means I could get away with anything. And if things couldn't be anymore perfect, it seemed the other students hadn't gotten wind of the fight in Lancers yet. But that was the last thing I was thinking about.

"Oh, hello! What's your name?" she asked politely when I slipped into the class room, her eyes a soft hazel.

"Tucker Foley." I mumbled.

"Ah, here you are," she smiled, checking off my name and then looking back at me, "I'm Ms. Townsend, it's a pleasure to meet you Tucker."

"No," I grinned, "The pleasure is all mine."

Whoa, she was hot.

Making sure I wasn't drooling, I walked to my seat half backwards half forwards. Her soft blonde hair seemed to reflect the sun, creating a dazzling halo where ever she walked. Having not been scarred by years of teaching, she still had that ever present smile, teeth pearly white and complimenting her flawless skin. I think she started talking about some body part or organ, but the only body part I was paying attention to was-

Something hit me in the side of the head and flopped to the space in front of me. I frowned, looking down at the note and suddenly remembering why I should be feeling awkward or nervous or something. I looked over at Danny to apologize for getting distracted, but he was just smirking at me, eye brows quirked perfectly and giving me a look.

Smiling weakly, I shrugged and fumbled with the little paper, smoothing it out between us so we could talk. I looked down and saw Danny's familiar scrawl, tangible happiness blooming in my chest at just the sight of his handwriting.

_You're drooling. _

I grinned, suddenly feeling unbelievably light with the return of our usual joking antics. I'd forgotten how much I missed this. Almost excitedly, I scribbled a response.

_Dude. She is H-O-T. _

_Yeah, and totally out of you're league._

_I beg to differ. She just hasn't experienced "The Tucker" yet. _

_And she never ever will._

_Harsh. _

_Hey, just speak'in the truth. _

Unfortunately, our cheeky banter was just stalling the inevitable. We could both feel it, that slightly awkward, slightly apprehensive blob in the air. Things weren't exactly right yet, and I was tired of it, but Danny was the one who started the unwanted heart-to-heart talk. It was a necessary evil for our friendship to go back to normal.

_So...did you mean it?_

_Yeah. _

Danny paused, frowning at the paper for a moment before writing.

_Why now? What changed your mind? I figured you'd hate me even more after the news broadcast._

_Well, it doesn't actually surprise me to be honest. Figures Vlad would do something nutty like run for office just to get around us and see you. But I was a complete jerk, Danny. I guess it just took me a while to realize it. It's uh...kind of a big thing to get used to..._

_Yeah, I'll give you that. _

I wasn't exactly sure what to write next. I wanted to let Danny know I was there for him, but I still didn't support his decision. I chewed on my lip, fiddling with the pencil for a moment before trying to bring it up.

_So...you and Vlad..._

_...yeah? _

_I just don't-I don't wanna-I gotta make it clear-_

I scowled at the paper, violently scratching out my scribbles as I tried to find the right words.

_What you do with your private life is your business. You're my best friend and I'm not gonna let this ruin our friendship. But...you should know that I don't agree with it, and I'm only letting you stay with him cause I know you can take care of yourself. But if he hurts you one time I swear I'll make him regret it! I don't trust him, Danny. I guess I just want you to know that I'm here. You know...if you need me or something..._

It took nearly fifteen minutes to write that. Danny sat next to me the entire time, glancing down at the paper and back to the board with flickering, impatient eyes. I passed the note to him and he all but ripped it out of my hands, scanning my scribbles with wide eyes. He read it and took it in, sitting back in his seat with calm relief filling every inch of his skin. Danny let out a silent sigh and wrote back,

_Thanks Tucker. You have no idea how much this means to me._

_Trust me, I do. _

I smiled in contentment, feeling happiness flow through me for the first time in days. Danny was smiling too, looking at me gratefully. I almost forgot about one other potentially disastrous thing until it inexplicable slammed into my head.

_Oh! Dude! What about Jazz? Is she gonna spill your secret to your parents?_

_Which one?_

_Both, I guess._

_Ah. No, I'm all good there. Vlad running for mayor wasn't my idea, so she can't 'punish' me. :) Yay, loophole._

_I forgot, Vlad's pretty good at finding those, isn't he._

_Hell. Yes. _

_Lol_

_She's still super pissed though. We helped him move in yesterday and she was glaring daggers the whole time. Even though it wasn't my idea, she's still pretty mad at me. If I do one thing she doesn't like she'll turn my life into more of a hell than it already is. _

_She shouldn't spill your secrets dude. It ain't right._

_Not like I can do anything about it. She's practically got me wrapped around her finger._

I stared at his wording, remembering Jazz saying almost the same thing not too long ago. I shook away the creepy feeling though, taking a moment to smile encouragingly at Danny. He looked really nervous about the whole situation.

_Don't worry dude. I got your back._

_I'm counting on it. ...what about Sam? She still...you know..._

_Oh yeah. _

Danny stared at my note for a long time, a drawn, tired expression on his face. Finally, with a quiet sigh, he slowly scribbled a response.

_Any chance of her spontaneously forgiving me too?_

_Probably not._

_Damn. _

_She's really hurt, Danny. You gotta admit, you we're pretty clueless about her crushing on you. _

_Well she never told me! How was I supposed to know? _

_Heck, I dunno. Women are nuts. I just know she had it bad for you, so it'll probably take her a lot longer to get used to you and Vlad._

_Assuming she ever does..._

_True. _

The class passed without much more excitement. I spent the whole time passing notes with Danny and staring at Ms. Townsend's boobs. It's amazing how much we had to catch up on after only a week and a half. Time flew faster than ever and before I knew it the bell was ringing, signaling lunch. I actually jumped in my seat a bit, interrupted mid-note-sentence and glancing around in confusion.

"It's already time for lunch?"

"Yeah," Danny smiled, still feeling the same giddy high as I despite the momentary downer while talking about Sam, "You mean you weren't watching the clock?"

"I was distracted." I replied, staring pointedly at the substitute teacher.

Danny snorted.

"Wow Tucker."

"What?" I grabbed my books and stepped in line beside him, heading to the sweet freedom of the cafeteria room. As soon as we were done with our lockers, at least. "You can't say she doesn't have a nice rack."

"I'm just going to agree with you and move on. I know better than to get between you and breasts." he discreetly phased his books through the metal of his locker and smirked at me.

"Smart choice, cause I'm Tucker Foley and I'm always right. Here, stick my books in your locker too. I don't wanna walk all the way to mine."

"It's like, right down the hall!" He laughed, taking my books anyway.

"And your point is...?"

Danny shook his head, looking happier than I'd seen him in a long time. We gladly walked to the lunch room in our own little word as we continued to talk and joke. It wasn't until I could just start smelling the succulent meat that Danny's smile died down, the glow in his eyes dimming a little. I fell quiet, looking ahead to see what he had-

Oh. Sam.

She walked into the lunch room, alone and friendless. Danny watched her retreating form with a forlorn frown. I furrowed my own brows, not liking the dampened spirit in the air.

"Hey, give it some time. I didn't say she'd _never _come around." I placed a hand on his back.

"Yeah," He sighed, turning his gaze away when she disappeared into the crowd, "I just hate seeing her so alone."

I'll never understand Danny's ability to be compassionate to those who scorn him. I'm not complaining of course. It's because of his habit of giving second chances that I'm still his friend now. Even so, if I was in Danny's shoes I wouldn't give two squats about Sam's loneliness. Danny soon shook me out of my thoughts though, jerking a thumb to the lunch line and supporting a wane smile.

"You coming?"

I glanced back at the spot Sam disappeared for a moment, but then pushed it to the back of my mind. It's not like I could change her mind for her.

"Yeah, hurry up, we're gonna get a cruddy place in line!"

Danny yelped at the force of my tug when I dragged him to the lunch line. Immediately we fell back into our joking and laughing banter, so immersed in the conversation that I almost got vegetables by mistake. Some of the student body was pointing and whispering at us, probably wondering if this meant the drama was over. Me and Danny both knew it wasn't though. It was lunch time, however, which meant no depressing subjects were allowed. My best friend led the way outside, stopping at the top of the steps and looking around the sea of laughing, eating teenagers.

Again, I noticed a few students whispering and pointing at me and Danny. I had the feeling they were talking about the fight in Lancer's though. Some of the kids were the ones from the English class itself. Jeez, didn't high schoolers have anything better to talk about. Danny was expertly aloof to all the gossip though, still searching for someone.

"Who ya' looking for?"

He found her the moment I asked, a pleased smile stealing his features.

"Valarie." he replied, and I scrambled to follow after him.

He sat with her yesterday, something both me and Sam were quick to notice. She'd looked away in an attempt to pull of the I-don't-care thing, but I know she did. Personally, I'd just been glad that he wasn't sitting alone anymore. Now, however, I didn't know what to think.

"Oh." was all I said, but I don't think he heard me.

"Hey Val." he smiled, sitting across from her. I sat next to him.

Valarie cast me a suspicious glance, looking between me and Danny and then looking for Sam. She decided not to pry though (thank god) and looked at Danny with a smile.

"Hi Danny. What's up?"

"Nothing much. You?"

"Eh. Had a test in math today, but it was easy. ...Hi Tucker."

I choked on the meatloaf I was attempting to swallow whole, giving Danny a muted thanks when he thumped me hard on the back.

"Hi Valarie." I coughed.

"How are you?"

"Dying." I gasped, still trying to dislodge a bit of meat from my esophagus.

"Yeah, the meatloaf usually isn't very safe to eat." She winced, looking in disgust at my tray.

"Aw, it's no problem for me," I waved a hand, "I can eat anything."

"No kidding." Danny muttered.

Valarie smiled weakly, glancing between us again. It was obvious she was dying to talk about Lancer's. She pushed some of the food around on her try, picking out the edible parts. I shouldn't have been as surprised as I was when she finally brought it up.

"So how about that news broadcast in Lancers today?"

We froze for barely a second, but I think Valarie noticed it. Damn, she was more perceptive than Sam...

"Uh...yeah, how about." I winced, quickly stuffing my mouth full of food.

"You guys think Vlad Master's will make a good mayor?"

Danny shrugged, making a noncommittal noise and staring at his tray.

"Do you?" he asked.

"I think so." she replied confidently, "He's a good man. He helped me out when my father lost his job."

There were so many things wrong with that sentence that I didn't even want to think about it. Danny just nodded quietly, knowing to keep his mouth shut.

"Sam doesn't seem like him." she began, gauging our reactions.

Danny stiffened, probably wondering if now was when she would start asking questions about the fight. I was wondering the same thing.

"She, uh...has some personal issues with him." I supplied, glancing at Danny to make sure he was okay with my explanation. He nodded in silent agreement.

"Oh..." Valarie fell silent. "Is...is that why...well...never mind, it's not really my business."

"Yeah, it's part of the reason why we're fighting." Danny answered her unsaid question, a dark expression on his face.

Valarie looked a little awkward, regretting broaching this subject. For a long, thick silence, no one said much of anything. It didn't help that Sam was sitting alone under a tree not fifteen feet from our table. I coughed, trying to dispel some of the tension. At least she wasn't asking about why me and Danny were talking again.

"Well, I guess we'll see the outcome of the election at the end of the month." Valarie said quickly, a smile on her face that clearly displayed her desire to put the conversation behind us, "How about these ghosts? Haven't been too many flying around lately, huh?"

Ignoring how lame that subject change was, her words were an understatement. The last time Danny fought a ghost must have been three days ago (at least as far as I know for sure), and even then I could see from the news feed that it was just a low level ghoul. Are the ghosts still staying out of Amity Park on Vlad's orders? How much power does that guy have over ghost zone anyways? The thought was kinda scary, to be honest.

"Yeah, my parents have been really freaked by it. They say it's because of some planetary shaping thing," Danny rolled his eyes, "But even I can tell that's a long shot for them. They have no idea why the ghosts are acting this way."

"When was the last time you saw one?" she asked, a blazing look starting to fire up in her eyes.

"About three days ago." He shrugged, scooping up something mushy and orange.

"I wouldn't eat that." I muttered. He carefully placed it back on the tray.

"What did it look like?"

"Uh...green and...glowing."

"Are you sure it wasn't Phantom?"

"...Yeah. I'm pretty sure."

Valarie fell silent, thinking hard about something. Three guesses as to what it was.

"You still hunting him?" Danny asked. I was the only one who caught him wince.

"Of course. He's dangerous." she waved a hand, still lost in thought.

Danny glanced over at me, his exasperated expression easy to decipher. He just shook his head, returning to his food in resignation.

"Hey," I nudged him, talking so only he could hear me. Valarie was in her own little world anyways. "Is it cause of Vlad?"

"I guess," Danny shrugged. "He never told me he changed his orders in the ghost zone, so I guess the ghosts are still staying clear."

"Damn," I breathed, "I can't believe he has that much sway in the ghost zone."

"A little intimidating, huh?" He smirked wryly.

"Yeah, no kidding."

The rest of lunch passed on a light note. Danny smiled the entire time, me and him enjoying numerous inside jokes as Valarie started a tirade about ghosts. Luckily Danny never noticed it, but I caught Sam glaring at us once or twice from her lonely tree. I was a cold reminder that things weren't back to normal, no matter how much I wanted them to be. Still, all I could do was manage with what I had, which was a lot in my opinion. Danny is my best friend, and he always will be. Even if everything else around us changes, that simple fact never will.


End file.
